In God's house
by crescent-moon-demon
Summary: Meet Uchiha Sasuke,son of a religious pastor of the christian faith.Unfortunately Sasuke isn't like what everyone thinks.Warning:yaoi,rape,swearing and open opinion of christianity.
1. A song of praise

_This temple was finished __  
__King solomon prayed __  
__The people came to see __  
__Was God pleased with this place ___

_Then fire fell from heaven __  
__The priest could not go in __  
__God's glory was more than they could stand __  
__God's glory was more than they could stand... _

Fingers grasped his aching member, milking it as he arched against the cool cedar wood of the confession booth. Outside the choir sang in fervency, the clear voices reaching the ceiling beams as the group of singers sang _Let Your Glory Fill This Place._ He held in another moan, biting his lips as the male released over his own hand, letting out a small whimper as he shivered. Now done with his ministrations, his body would no longer hold himself up and the raven gently lowered himself down onto the little booth's bench. 

Outside noone noticed that the teen had been missing for a few minutes, nor did they know of what he did. The dark-haired youth pulled a wet nap out of his pocket and wiped off the milky liquid, tossing the wet nap into the little garbage pail before pulling out a bottle of antibacterial hand gel. The teen squeezed a generous amount of the clear liquid onto his palm, rubbing his hands together quickly, spreading the gel around until it completely absorbed into his flesh. He stood up and zipped up his pants, checking his features in his little pocket mirror. When he didn't appear too frazzled, he slipped out of the booth and slunk to his seat.

The choir was just finishing, and people were were all taking their seats in the pews. Up on the platform, the teen's father got to his feet and coughed to draw his audiences' attention. The young male sat down beside his mother, ignoring the small quizzing look his brother gave him. "Where have you been Sasuke?," his mother asked. Sasuke turned his head to his mother, keeping his expression blank. "I was only in the washroom mother. Please excuse my absence." The older women nodded and turned her head back to her husband, smiling sweetly to the man. Sasuke peered at his brother from the corner of his eye; Itachi was peering at him too.

Sasuke crossed his legs and removed his notebook from his pocket, ignoring his brother's look. '_Whatever. Noone said that bastard had to believe me. It's not like he has the proof to prove_ _otherwise.'_ Sasuke unclasped the silver buckles and opened the tiny notebook to a new page, writing the date and title of today's sermon on the first line. As his father spoke, Sasuke's hand never faltered its smooth rythme of copying down the words of the lecture, the blue ink glistening brightly. Slowly the raven's thoughts drifted back to this morning's earlier actions, and back to the object that had caused such feelings within him. True, as a son of the pastor, Sasuke should be an example of godliness; following the commandments laid down by the Lord, their Father. But Sasuke could never follow that role spiritually. He could play the part, and act accordingly as everyone thought he should. But in his heart he knew he was sinful because he **lusted** after another, a **male** of all people, and he couldn't help but **release** the tension caused by thoughts of that said male.

So Sasuke had commited terrible sins but he couldn't ask for forgiveness, not when he wanted that person so much. The Lord might punish him when it came to his time of judgment but if he could only have that beautiful person then he would stand the fires of hell for such an experience. His hand moved to jot down another scripture his father pointed out, while his groin began to stir with heat. Again his thoughts were betraying him, leading him to think of that boy that entranced his darkest dreams, and his body was acting out in lust for that handsome specimen. _No, I must control myself. I have already taken my leave and have left my sin in the confession booth. This can wait until we return home; then I will take care of this pestering trouble. _And in saying so the raven turned his thoughts around to face Jesus, burying those sinful visions for later.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Fugaku was a poweful leader. His tongue was always bathed in the words of the lord, and he gave such meaningful messages to all that came to him. The man had been in God's fellowship for quite a long time, and had even been given a letter of acceptance into the priesthood. But Fugaku had fallen in love with a women of strong faith, and had declined such an offer, saying that God had given him a women to spend his life with. But still Fugaku rose through everything and became the Pastor and founder of his own ministry, preaching to all the people that entered the large church. Sasuke had grown up always surrounded by God, and even when he was very young his father had taught him the elements of the faith so that one day Sasuke would become a man baptized in the faith and power of the Lord.

His father had raised the boys such, so that they would enter the pastor hood like their father, and take over the ministry when their old man passed away. But Sasuke didn't want to spend the rest of his life stuck in robes and preaching to complete strangers who did nothing but kiss ass and ask for repentance that they would quickly throw away in rage or in lust. No that was not the life Sasuke wanted, his brother Itachi would soon better fill that role than he would any day. After the service, Sasuke retired to his room after his father had finished annointing his forehead, and blessing both boys. The raven shut his door and plopped down on his bed, picking up the book placed on his nightstand. It was a four hundred page book, talking about the miracles and wonder of Jesus. A tattered book mark protruded from near the end of the book, and Sasuke opened up the book to his saved page, eyes scanning over the words. The book was an utter bore but it was a requirment for english, so Sasuke would just bite his tongue and finish the damn novel. _'Such hypocrasy, it's laughable.'_

He finished the book, wrote the report required of him, and sat himself down on his computer. He started his Mac up, listening to it hum softly as he watched the information codes scroll up the screen. Despite the fact that his parents trusted him, and that they believed their teenage son would never do anything sinful even on the internet, that did not mean he would leave his computer without a password. Sasuke knew his brother had a habit of peering into his life, pulling out things better left in the dark. His p.c was set up with so many codes and security passwords that even a hacker would have trouble getting in. Smirking to himself, Sasuke logged in.

His mouse clicked softly as he scrolled through his picture collection, eyes feeding on the beautiful images of his desired one. The heat in his groin was back and this time his hand slid down, resting on the bulge. He wanted to rip off the constricting pants right there and then, but he knew precautions needed to be taken. The raven cocked his head to the side, glancing at his door. Yes; it was closed and locked. But suspicion still filled him. Sasuke got to is feet and scored the room. There was nothing. Then he checked the bathroom; he had his own bathroom. Such was the privliges of having such a prestigious family. But there was nothing there either. Pleased, Sasuke returned to his computer.

Without further ado, he unzipped his pants and hurriedly grabbed his member, rubbing it feirously. His eyes flew open every once in a while, settling on his desire, before closing again to picture that person in very compromising positions. He held in his moans as he imagined his special person grasping his weeping organ in their own tan hands, taking the shivering member into their warm mouth. Sasuke could almost feel the other's tongue sliding up and down his shaft, the other boy happily feasting upon him. And before he knew it, the pressure was gone, white semen coating his hand and the front of his pants.

Huffing lightly, the uchiha got to his feet and strode over to the bathroom. He stripped and threw his pants into the sink, turning on the hot water. He watched distantly as the sink filled up, his slacks drowned in dark waters. He opened a bottle of luandry detergent and poured a bit into the sink, swishing the water around. Sasuke grabbed a scrub brush from under his bathroom sink and worked to get the semen off his pants. After scrubbing for a few good minutes, he rinsed, rung and hung his slacks on the towel rack before getting into the shower. The warm water made his skin cool down after his actions, and his breathing remained normal. But _he_ was still in Sasuke's mind.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke grabbed a slice of toast as he passed through the kitchen, downing the glass of orange juice placed on the counter. He stuck the piece of bread in his mouth, slinging the strap of his shoulder bag over his head. "Have a good day at school," said his mother as he headed for the front door. Sasuke 'hn-ed' a reply, slipping on his sneakers and grabbing his key off the rack. He padded lightly down the front steps, turning left off their drive and toward the curb. The raven stood beside the red stop sign, gazing about at the row of white houses, not really interested in what he saw. Around the bend the school bus drove up, rambling down the street before pulling to a stop a few inches away from the dark teen. Sasuke sighed, turned and ascended up the stairs, taking a seat at the end of the bus. The girls up front giggled and pointed his way, but he paid them no heed.

After a few minutes of passing houses as his view, Sasuke closed his eyes and laid his head against the glass. His mind wandered over the reports and assignments that needed to be handed in, needed to be done; and about the numerous people that he would have to once again avoid today. But most of all, he was thinking about the classes he had with _him_, the classes that we're close to _his_, and the classes that _he_ took. _'I'll have to walk through the tech hallway if I_ _want to catch him after art.' _As Sasuke was pondering the many possible ways of getting to his desire's classrooms, he failed to notice that the bus had finally reached the school. The sudden bustling of fellow peers woke him from his daydreams, and he too got to his feet and exited the bus.

Sasuke stayed perched on the curb as thousands of students poured out of various buses, striding up the school's front stairs. Teenagers swarmed all over the concrete steps, pushing and prodding and shouting at one another. Sasuke frowned at their frivalous behaviour, huffing slightly before stepping forward. _'This is supposed to be a catholic school for Christ's sake! Not a zoo!!' _Sasuke controlled himself from wringing the neck of the idiot that slammed into him, preferring a quick dusting off of himself and a well aimed insult to the other individual.

Without further ado he, Sasuke Uchiha, probably the only student in all of St. Paul's Catholic school that was actually of christian faith, made his way to class. The room was quite empty still as he sat himself down in his regular seat (the front row, of course) opening his textbook for historic religion. The clock ticked away, and with two mintues left the classroom was finally beginning to fill up. When his two stalkers came in, Sasuke sighed inwardly and asked how God could be so cruel, but as usual he gritted his teeth and beared the terrible punishment of having said girls sit on either side of him and attach themselves to his arms. And just when Sasuke thought he was about to die, _he_ walked in and Sasuke remembered why this class was so great.

**C.M.D: just as an after thought. For people who are getting angry at me for making rude comments of the christianity, please note.**

**My mother is christian, I _tried_ to be christian.**

**All this comes from my point of view, and honestly I don't really have anything against people who are christian, I just don't like the religion that's all.**


	2. Logic meet Lust

1

Morning bell rang and Naruto quickly ducked into his first period class. His messy blonde spikes got in his eyes but he brushed them away and then scurried over to his seat. He put his bookbag on the desk, standing at attention as the morning anthem started. He hummed to it lightly, under his breathe, keeping an eye on the clock. As soon as it was finished he took his seat, and pulled out his sketchbook. He opened it to a new page, grabbing a pencil out from his pencil case. "I'll take that thank-you!" Naruto huffed as kiba took his pencil, grabbing another one at the same time. "Morning to you too, dog-breath." Kiba grinned and pulled his binder out from his ratty backpack. "You just say that 'cuz you love me."

Naruto rolled his eyes, propping the history textbook up in front of him. "So he's not here yet? As usual."Kiba muttered, glancing at the empty teacher's desk at the front of the class. "Ya know, if you keep not expecting him to show up then you should stop complaining."Naruto answered. "Nah, takes all the fun out of class," kiba replied. "What better way to start of a school day than to mock a teacher who doesn't even give a damn?" Naruto grinned at that, still buried in his sketchbook. Kiba watched as his best friend's hand moved in a crazy manner across the page, knowing full well that at the end something remarkable would cover every inch of that blank piece of paper. "So whattcha drawing now?" The brunette leaned over to look into the book when it was promptly shut on him.

Laughing blue eyes sparkled as the blonde turned to look at him, wearing his best fox grin. "Not yet, my sweet puppy-chan. You have to wait like the rest of the world to witness the wonder of my priceless talent." Kiba slouched back in his chair, snorting. "Yeah, okay. Don't flatter yourself, foxy." Naruto stuck his tongue out, opening up his sketchbook and resuming his previous activity. At half-past 8:15, the history teacher finally strode in,waving slightly at his students. "Good morning class. Sorry I'm so late, the nurse needed my help." The whole class held in their groans, and gave quiet 'hello's to their eccentric teacher as he strode forward and placed his pile of books on his desk. Naruto watched as the class representative raised his hand, glaring at the raven. "Mr. Hatake, sir? Will we be learning anything of importance this term?" Kakashi sat at his desk, visible eye clenched shut in amusement, obviously smiling under the dark scarf he had wrapped around the lower part of his face.

Naruto laid his head on his desk, sighing at the feel of the comforting cool wood. "Hmm…excellent question, Sasuke? What would you like to learn this term?" Naruto furrowed his brow. 'Oh, yeah, sure. Ask the smart person what we should do..' Naruto closed his eyes as Sasuke began to describe topics necessary for a grade 10 class. The mere thought of all that work was already doing a number on his brain. "Hey, Naru…" Naruto turned slightly, glancing at kiba. "You'll never believe what that guy said to me this morning." Naruto arched an eyebrow, showing his dog-loving friend that he was interested. "Okay," Kiba leaned in closer, keeping his voice lowered. "I was walking up the stairs right, and well Gaara's groupies were like messing with me, so I ended up nearly tripping. I fell back, and lo-and-behold, I knocked into Mr. Prissy over there. He gave me this look like he had just stepped into some dog-shit, and called me a fucking pansy that spent too much time fucking my own bitch of a hound. Can you believe him?! He is such a fucking asshole!"

Naruto glared over at the Uchiha, whispering back to Kiba. "That bastard. Can't believe all the girls think he's such a prince. Assholes like him should be shipped off to Madagascar." "Would you like to share that opinion with the class Naruto-chan?" Both boys tensed in their seats, before looking up at their history teacher who somehow had ended up behind them. Naruto could feel his heart racing, an oh-shit-I'm-caught kind of smile making its way onto his face. "N-no sir. It-it's not of im-importance..." Mr. Hatake just patted the boys on the head before moving back toward the front of the class. "Then I'll have to ask you two to keep opinions of no importance to yourself until the end of my class, understood boys?" "Yes sir," both Kiba and Naruto answered back. The class tittered nervously, afraid to get into trouble but unable to keep the hilarity of the situation to themselves. The grey-haired teacher sat himself back at his desk, and both teenage males finally collapsed in their seats already sick of the day. Mr. Hatake

Kakashi pulled out his book, and leaned casually in his chair. "Alright for the remainder of the period, open your text books and read pages 15-30. No chatting." But everyone knew that the man could hardly care less if they talked or not, as long as noone was stupid enough to disturb him as he read. Immediately the class broke into a quiet roar, some boys talking about the girls they knocked up or who was the victim of Gaara's group these days. The girls though talked about the usual :hair, make-up and (of course) Sasuke. Sometimes they would argue about whose more madly in love with the emotionless raven; that was always interesting to watch. Today it seemed that another fight was starting to brew between the pink-haired Sakura Haruno (head cheerleader) and the blonde headed Ino Yamanaka (head of the journal, news and video club). Both girls were tightly latched onto the Uchiha's arms (whenever weren't they?) But you could easily see the way they were baring their teeth at each other from the behind Sasuke's back. "Good morning Ino-pig, I see you're trying to stake claims to _**MY**_ Sasuke again." "I don't need to stake claims, bill-board brow. Sasuke is already _**MINE**_." Silence descended over the class, watching the two girls fight over the silent teen. "Hey, why don't you go try to steal someone _**ELSE"S **_boyfriend," Sakura growled, pulling Sasuke closer to her chest. "What makes you _**THINK**_ you're even girlfriend material," Ino retorted, pulling Sasuke to her chest also. A boy whistled at the diss, going unnoticed by both girls.

Kiba leaned forward in his seat, nudging naruto to pay attention. Like the blonde male really cared. He had seen this fight a million times already, and actually he was quite disappointed that people's friendships could be so easily broken over a col prick like Sasuke. "Lay off Kiba, it's a stupid cat fight and I'm trying to do something. Besides it's not like we've never seen it before." The other teen shook his head, before pulling up his jacket's hood. "Perhaps, but man I never get tired of it." Naruto glanced at his friend's tattooed face, before shaking his head in disbelief. He returned to his sketchbook, adding shade to the arm he was currently working on. "You know what, "Kiba began, after another set of insults from the two girls. "I really envy that guy at times. I mean, he gets all these girls chasing after him yet he doesn't even give them a glance. I mean, the guy's like a fucking robot. He can grab any females attention without even trying and I can't even get _her_'s." Naruto knew who his friend meant when he said _her_, it was possibly the only female Kiba had been actually interested in despite his many comments about which girl was the hottest babe in school. Her was actually Hinata Hyuuga, a shy and quiet girl who had a major crush on Naruto; but unfortunately the blonde didn't return the feelings. Now, it wasn't that he didn't like females, he did, he just couldn't think of Hinata that way especially since his best friend had been crushing over her since elementary school. "I don't envy him." Naruto answered after a moment. "I mean, why would I want a bunch of harpies squabbling over me like I was a piece of meat? The bastard can keep all that attention to himself." Kiba just sweat-dropped and looked away. "Yeah, you're right. That's not the kind of attention I'd really want..."

Naruto looked ahead of him to see the two girls practically screeching at each other now, while the raven silently got to his feet, most likely to escape the two banshees that were beginning to get closer to each other. And yet, the dark-haired boy's sudden movement seemed to shock the two out of their quarrel for they flung themselves at his retreating form. "Ah, Sasuke-kun don't leave!!" "Sasuke-love, don't go!" Afterwards it would be quite funny, but at the moment that it happened it was quite startling. One minute the Uchiha had been starting to walk away from the two females, when they threw themselves against his back to halt his retreat. In turn, they ended up surprising him and causing all of three of them to fall to the ground -hard- in an dignified pile. Boys whistled their approval at the sight of Sakura's and Ino's underwear, while others laughed at the fall of the mighty Sasuke. Although the rest of the girls took to rushing over to try to the comfort Sasuke. Kiba smacked the desk as he laughed uncontrollably, while Naruto himself was busy clutching his gut, as he too laughed. Kakashi sighed as he returned his focus to his class, closing his book. Their was still ten minutes in the period yet the had managed to cause minor chaos within the short time limit of first period. The grey-haired man got to his feet, before picking up the Uchiha by the collar and putting him back up on his feet.

Most of the class had fallen silent now, except for Naruto and Kiba who were having trouble it seemed from holding in their laughter. Kakashi smiled as he ushered the girls back to their seats, Sakura and Ino included. "Well, well, well. It seems someone will need to escort Sasuke-kun here down to the nurse's office to get himself checked. " And indeed a visit to the nurse's office was needed as a rather large welt seemed to be rapidly forming on the dark teen's brow. Kakashi scanned the class, ignoring the hopeful looks of all the girls. He already knew who he was going to choose, but it was more fun this way. He turned his gaze up, gazing at the blonde, before smiling to himself. "Naruto." The blonde immediately shut-up, nearly falling out of his chair. "Wh-what?!" Kakashi's smile grew. "You're to escort Mr.Uchiha down to the nurse's office, and no manner of complaining, whining or pleading will get you out of this task." Naruto's jaw dropped and he visibly shivered in disgust before getting to his feet and grabbing his things. "You might as well grab your things too Sasuke. Now I don't want any diddly-daddling or I will come looking for you two. Oh, and Naruto?" Naruto paused at the door, Sasuke close behind him, the blonde looking back with fear and anger. "I will be asking nurse Shizune if you both arrived or not, so don't even think of leaving Sasuke's side," Kakashi ordered with an amused voice much too happy for the current situation. "Yes, sir," naruto replied.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto scuffed his feet of the linoleum floor, grumbling under his breath about the cruelty of history teachers these days. A couple paces ahead of him was Sasuke, who was at the moment trying to hold down the terrible throbbing of his head and the urge to just madly kiss his blonde right then and there. Instead he took to sneaking glances at the blue-eyed teen, his own obsidian eyes carefully following those luscious pink lips. After a few moments though, Naruto glanced up and caught the Uchiha staring at him with a strange gleam in his eye. This caused shivers to go up his spine, and he was quick to glare at the raven. "What are you looking at?," he demanded. The other teen said nothing, just continued on, glancing back every once in a while at him. What was up with this guy? Is there something on my face or what? Naruto kept careful distance away from the raven, watching with a keen eye. If he tries anything funny, Naruto thought, then I'll be sure to punch his lights out.

The threat seemed unnecessary though because they soon came to the Nurse's office. Sasuke was sure to knock but Naruto just brushed him aside and opened the door. Together the two entered, Shizune coming from behind her desk to greet them. "Good morning, Naruto? What brings you here at this hour?" naruto smiled at the nurse, before scratching the back of his head nervously. "Heh, I'm not here for myself this time. Sasuke-bastard here smacked his head off the floor and Mr. Hatake made me bring him down." "Well, that was very nice of you Naruto." "Yeah, well it was nothing. I'm gonna take off now and try not to hurt him too bad Ms. Shizune." Shizune shook her finger and the blonde, smiling. "Naruto, you know better than anyone else that I've never hurt a single patient of mine. Now get out of here before I give you another shot." Naruto grinned and turned to leave, but Sasuke grabbed his arm. "Where are you going, dobe? You're supposed to stay with me, teachers orders."

Naruto frowned at the uchiha's attitude, his anger growing at the childish nickname the raven took to calling him. "No, Mr.Hatake said I had to escort you to the Nurse's office and I did. I'm done here." And with that Naruto pulled from the black-haired teen's grip and exited the office. Sasuke could only growl with frustration at his own idiocy and failure to keep his beloved blonde from leaving.

**C.M.D: Here is the second chapter!! Yippee!!**

**Not as long as the first but I hope thatz ok...he next one should be done...umm...whenever I get the chance. Well, stay tuned and see wat other things happen!!**


	3. Restless Notions

1

Pinned to his bed, slick with sweat and cum, panting madly with a beautiful blush crossing his cheeks. Oh, god. Bless the Lord and the messiah Jesus Christ for such an amazing creature. There were no words to describe Naruto, that delicious blonde that was laid down underneath him, straddled under his hips. The blonde made a small move, and Sasuke felt it vibrate through his whole being. His erection continued to press down upon the blonde's, making the smaller teen moan and pant more. This was ecstasy, to rub against that magnificently tanned body, to hear his angel beg for more of his touch. His lips caressed the shorter male's lips, neck, chest. He licked the sweet flesh, fingers slipping into Naruto's waiting bliss, pushing and searching for what would make the boy cry out in the way that Sasuke liked best. A throaty, needy moan. That was it, the blonde's arching back and pleased face was proof of it. Sasuke pulled out, his own breath becoming ragged, poised to thrust back into the welcoming warmth that was Naruto. That was of **his** Naruto. A deep breath, and he pushed forward, deep inside to hear-

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

Sasuke groaned as he rolled over in his bed, sheets tangling up in his legs. His groin throbbed with the after effects of the images granted to him in his sleep, and he knew if he didn't take care of it now, his arousal would plague him all day. Turning the alarm clock off, Sasuke got to his feet and strode to his bathroom, turning on a hot shower for himself. He stripped, dealt with his problem, and got ready for school. _'School...I hope Naru-chan will be there...' _First period went by, then second and the Uchiha was beginning to worry. He hadn't yet seen Naruto that morning and his day couldn't even be considered bearable without that loudmouth blonde. Frustrated to the point of nearly killing the annoying fangirl sitting beside him, Sasuke was forced to raise his hand and admit he needed to get out, even if for a minute.

"Mr. Jiraiya, I need to use the facilities and would be grateful if you would pardon me from the classroom." The Law teacher seemed a little taken back by Sasuke's request, but shrugged it off. "Do what you have to, Uchiha. But you hurry your ass back here as soon as you finish, you hear?" Sasuke nodded, ignoring the glare the old man was sending him along with the jabbering motion of his chalk. Sasuke got to his feet, took a hall pass, and left the room. Immediately he felt a little better, now that he wasn't surrounded by all those terrifying female masses, and pondered what he should do now with his free time. 'Look for Naru-chan, maybe?' Sasuke liked the sound of that, but shook his head nonetheless. He didn't have his copy of the blonde's schedule(not that it mattered, he had the blonde's courses memorized) and besides he wasn't some lowly, obsessed fangirl. Stalking wasn't what Uchiha's did. So to the bathroom he headed, intent on just heading in, stall for a few minutes, then head back to class. The red door swung open as he pushed it, stepping into the restroom. Five porcelain sinks protruded from one wall, three stalls and a line of standard urinals on the other. There was a sudden sound of rustling, then a toilet flushing, Naruto stepping out from the stall furthest away.

The blonde looked up, his curious eyes turning hard when the noticed who the other occupant was. Fixing his shirt, Naruto strode up to one of the sinks, warm water spreading over his hands as he washed. His hands now clean, the blonde cupped his hands and splashed some warm water on his face, before turning off the faucet. Naruto, still ignoring the raven, grabbed some paper towel and began to dry up. "What do you want, bastard?" Naruto finally said. Sasuke was silent for a second, watching some droplets fall from the other boy's yellow spikes and onto his scarred cheeks. After a moment he replied with a _'hn'_, watching in amusement as his bright angel turned a shade of red with indignation. Naruto crumbled the paper towel into a ball before throwing it across the room and missing the trash can. "Taking your anger out on an inanimate object won't do anything for your cause," Sasuke teased. Naruto glared at the taller teen, lips twisted in a frown. "Yeah, well it's better than me taking it out on your face." "Dobe, what makes you think you can," the Uchiha replied. The blonde pouted as he adjusted his vest, clearing trying to avoid an argument. Sasuke smirked. This was turning out to be fun. "Do you mind moving away from the door?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, staring at Naruto amusingly. "Are you afraid to catch cooties from me?," Sasuke countered. Even from across the room the raven could hear the fox's teeth grinding. "Ya never know with Uchihas and truly, I really am trying to be the better man here. You sure make it hard for a guy not to smack you." _'I'd prefer it if you were the bottom man...,'_ Sasuke thought. Naruto strode forward, stopping inches away from the pale teen. "Move," the blue-eyed male demanded. Sasuke's smirk grew wider. "Ooh, I'm so scared," he sneered.

Naruto growled at the comment, fisting the front of the raven's shirt in his hands. "Ya know," he started, pulling the Uchiha toward him. "If it wasn't for all those goddamn fangirls of yours, I really would kick your ass." Sasuke shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "Not all my fans are girls, you know," the dark-haired teen said, reaching a finger out to stroke the scarred cheeks. "And I'm always willing to accept a new addition to the ranks." Naruto released Sasuke, backing away in panic. His cheeks had just been stroked -stroked!- by Sasuke Uchiha! Naruto slapped a hand over his touched cheek, blushing madly. _'Dammit! Traitorous cheeks!! Making me blush in front of Sasuke no less! What is he, gay?!'_ As Naruto went on a mental rant, Sasuke took this time to stare at the delectable blonde, his pants getting constricted as his thoughts got carried away. Damn, looking at that boy's pink lips made him hungry to seal them against his own. _'Hmm...I wonder just how far that tan goes?,' _the raven thought. The bell rang somewhere above their heads, snapping both teens from their thoughts. Naruto paled slightly, trying to hurry and escape before Sasuke took notice. Unfortunately, the blonde wasn't paying attention to where he was putting his feet and ended up tripping on his way to the door.

Sasuke coughed as the smaller body crashed into his, Naruto still pulling on him as he continued to fall. Instinctively, the Uchiha wrapped his arms around the blonde, pulling the other teen closer to his body and effectively keeping him from taking both of them to the floor. The contact made his whole body buzz with anticipation, and Sasuke was tempted to push Naruto against the wall and ravish him. Speaking of which...Sasuke decided that he really wanted to do that, and spun the blonde around, pinning him to the washroom wall. The sapphire eyes sprang open in surprise, anger and question as Sasuke moved closer to the warm body. "Where do you think you're going? You've made a big problem and you're not going anywhere til you've solved it," Sasuke whispered to the blonde, his breath ghosting down the teen's neck. Oh how he wanted to kiss that flesh, sink teeth and tongue at the collarbone. The Uchiha was pushed away as Naruto finally regained his senses, blushing madly as he finally got the raven at a far enough distance before running out of the restroom. "Bastard!!," he yelled back at the pale man. Sasuke frowned as his prey escaped him, the red door swinging shut on the sight of the runaway blonde. Forcing his libido down, Sasuke took to making sure that he looked somewhat proper before leaving. It was getting harder and harder for him to resist touching the boy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto nervously paced the library, chewing his nails as he walked back and forth between the shelves. He had told Kiba to meet up with him after school in the library's history section but now he was having second thoughts. He'd been totally unnerved by Sasuke's strange acts third period when they had ran into each other in the washroom, and he really needed some advice but...was Kiba the one to go to at a time like this? His friend might accidentally take it the wrong way and break off all ties with him or the dog-boy could tease him endlessly, saying he got a queer after his ass. To which they would then both be stalked down and beaten up by the Uchiha's fan club. Sighing again, Naruto leaned into the rows of old musty bibles. This whole day was a mess. "Wow, what truck hit you?" Naruto gazed up at Kiba, before sliding down to rest on the floor. "You have no idea," he muttered. Kiba shook his head, pulling down his coat's hood. "So...you gonna tell me what happened, or is it one of those really fucked up situations you don't feel like talking about again?" The blonde chuckled nervously at his friend's question, staring at the red triangle tattoos. Kiba sighed, "It's the latter one, ain't it?" Naruto nodded and grumbling, Kiba sat down beside him. "Can I get a summary, maybe?"

Naruto picked up his bookbag, playing with the frayed ends. "Well, let's put it this way...I ran into someone I don't normally associate with in the washroom. He pretty much courted me in his own fashion and pushed me up against a wall. I nearly got kissed and I don't think my would-be-stalker is happy with a close-call." The blonde cast his eyes to his best friend, who was actually quiet. _'It's unanimous folks, I'm screwed.' _As soon as the thought processed through his gold spikes, the brunette burst out laughing, going on about having to watch out for his ass- literally. Naruto frowned before nailing his friend in the arm. "Hey," he growled. "You're supposed to be helping me out, not fucking laughing at me!!" Kiba rubbed his arm, tears in his eyes as he fought to stop laughing. Several moments later, the dog-lover finally had regained control of himself and wiped away what tears rested in his eyes. "Ahh...ha...well, heh, I guess you're in some deep shit, huh? I've never dealt with a homo before but if you play your cards right he might end up being noticed by Gaara. Then you won't have to worry about him anymore." Kiba gave a shrug and got to his feet. "Come on foxy, to your feet. I've got to head over to Mac's...I finally got a date with Hinata!" Kiba smiled cheekily at the equally cheeky blonde, who was getting to his feet.

"Final level!**(1)** You better be nice with her or you'll have Neji all over your ass. And he's just as scary as Gaara." The two teens laughed merrily as they left the school, Naruto smacking Kiba upside the head for good luck for his date later, before parting ways. It was about time the dog-breath took some action instead of just talking. Sighing, Naruto walked home alone. _'As if Sasuke would let anyone know he was gay. And besides, he's got his fans to back him up. The impenetrable human shield.'_ Naruto chuckled at that, but he still couldn't get his mind off the incident. Things were going to be a little complicated at school now. The blonde pulled out his key, walking up to the front of his apartment door. As he went to put the key into the lock, the door opened, showing Iruka. "Oh, Naruto! I was wondering when you were going to show up?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow but entered nevertheless, taking off his shoes before heading to his room. "We're having a guest over for dinner tonight. So be on your best behavior," Iruka called down the hall. Naruto shouted back a reply, shutting his room door behind him. It was the first time that they had ever had guests over, and Naruto fervently hoped it wasn't someone from the agency.

See, he was an orphan. Naruto had no home, no parents, no birth records which made for a hard time tracking down his parents or even much of his heritage. As it stood Naruto was the only Uzumaki in history, and had been going through foster homes since he was two. All the kind of dark stuff they said about that business was in many ways very true, Naruto felt convulsions be brought on just from the thought of most of the stuff he went through, and honestly the blonde didn't want to go through another set of homes again. The first one had given him his scars on both cheeks, the others left scars on his mind and soul, ones he would never speak of to anyone. But finally the services had managed to get him around and he had ended up with Iruka. For four years now, he had been living with the brunette and had enjoyed everyday of his life. He'd made no trouble for the kind teacher, which he had done to all the other homes he had lived in, so noone from the services had come knocking yet. Naruto hoped that would be the case still for a long while, at least until he was of legal age to leave the agency's protection. Throwing on a clean shirt, Naruto left his dark room and walked to the apartment's kitchen. He strode into the small dining room, and ended up back-wheeling. "K-kakashi-sensei?!" The blonde felt his jaw drop in surprise as he stared at the grey-haired man.

"Ah...Iruka-sensei, you never said the student was Naruto-kun." Both males turned to the brunette who was smiling nervously as he brought over some food. "Well, I thought you already knew that." Naruto folded his arms against his chest, taken on the look of a sullen child. "Iruka-sensei...why did you invite him for?," Naruto whined. "You do know he's an pervert, right?" Iruka sighed as he sat down, dishing out food onto the three set plates. "Iruka-sensei," Kakashi cooed, leaning towards the other teacher. "Are you aware of how excellent an artist Naruto-kun is?" Naruto choked on his food and turned to see Iruka staring at him in surprise. "Really?," the brunette asked. Kakashi smiled behind his scarf -wasn't that guy ever going to eat?- brushing a couple bangs away from his one revealed eye. "Oh yes. A true genius. Hasn't he shown you any of his work?" Both adults turned on Naruto, and the blonde happily glared at them. Truth was, he never let anyone look at his sketchbook. If someone had seen any of his pictures it was because they had been snooping in his stuff, and were wise enough not to blab. If Kakashi-sensei had really seen, then he was either a fool or just didn't know what Naruto was known for. It seemed the first choice was more likely.

"Naruto, why don't you show me some of your drawings?," Iruka asked the fuming teen. "Sorry, sensei," Naruto gritted. "I don't know how Kakashi-sensei saw my sketchbook, but I don't like anyone looking at my pictures. I don't even let Kiba, and he's my best friend." Iruka seemed a little thrown off but was happy anyways. If Naruto didn't want to share, then he wouldn't. After dinner, Naruto returned to his room, where he wrote conspiracies against the scarecrow history teacher. At 11:15, Iruka came in to say goodnight to the blonde only to find him still sitting up in bed, a scowl on his face. "What's wrong?" Naruto snapped out of his daze, and looked at Iruka as the brown-haired man sat on his bed. "Iruka-sensei...do you like Kakashi-sensei?" The teacher blushed a deep red, turning his face away. "O-of cou-course not!" Even an idiot like himself could tell his foster parent was lying. Naruto stared at his feet, shifting in his seat. "Iruka-sensei...wh-what if there was someone, who seemed to like you...who was showing that they did, b-but they happened to be a guy...b-but you didn't like them 'cause they were a bastard...what would you do?" Iruka blinked in shock, gazing fondly at Naruto. This was the first time the blonde had ever come to him with a serious problem. Iruka patted the golden spikes, watching with soft eyes when the teen stiffened at first before relaxing. "I would tell them how you feel. No matter who you they are...if you don't return their feelings, then you don't. There's no other way around it." Iruka paused for a moment. Before getting to his feet. "You'll know when the time's right, who you like. Until then, it's best just to let all your suitors down nicely, dontcha think?" Naruto cuddled under his orange blankets, green toad and red fox plushie seated beside him. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei," the blonde murmured, smiling softly as he closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Naruto," the brunette replied.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rain pounded against the window pane, making Kiba feel gloomier and gloomier as time passed by. Hinata stared out the window as well, but her mood didn't appear as dampered. _'How the hell am I supposed to take Hinata home if it's fucking raining!?'_ Kiba bit at his thumb nail, breaking the thing off before spitting it out. He turned hazel eyes to the girl standing beside him, silently gazing at her. Hinata was so beautiful, and unlike the rest of the female population at school, the Hyuuga was dignified and quiet and much more sweeter. Kiba blushed when the soft violet eyes turned to him, a gentle smile on the girl's face. "Kiba-kun...is everything alright?" _'Her soft_ _voice is sweet too,'_ Kiba thought as he shook his head, diverting his eyes away. "I don't think the storm's going to let up. Perhaps we could run to a bus?," Hinata asked, noting how Kiba was avoiding her gaze. A small blush still adorned his cheeks. Kiba finally glanced up, looking both ways up the street. The bus to Hinata's house just left and another one wouldn't be coming in half an hour. Kiba scratched the back of his head, turning to look at the dark-haired female. "Another bus won't be coming for a while. And to wait out in the cold isn't good for anybody. Your house isn't too far so perhaps we can just walk there."

The dog-lover left the option hanging in the air, waiting to see what Hinata's reaction would be. The raven brought a hand up to her mouth, her eyes looking towards her house as she contemplated the Inuzuka's words. "But Kiba-kun," she began. "We don't have any umbrellas, and we'd get wet." "We'd get wet once we step outside anyways. As long as we're quick it should be ok." Kiba smiled encouragingly to the Hyuuga. "That is...unless you don't want to, of course." Hinata blushed a little before smiling at the brunette. "No I don't mind," she replied. Kiba's stomach was doing back-flips as he took his jacket off, placing it on Hinata's shoulders. The pale-eyed girl looked at him in surprise, and he only smiled and led them outside into the rain. "My coat's water-proof and is big enough to keep you plenty warm and dry. Sorry I can't do anything about the dog smell." Hinata's gaze caught his out from under the fur-trimmed hood, her joy evident in her smile. Together the two walked up the street, Hinata wrapped up warmly in the Inuzuka's coat while the brunette was run through with cold rain. All was silent for a while.

"Many people do not like the rain." Kiba was snapped out of the quiet as the raven spoke, the lights changing to red as they halted on the street corner. His hazel eyes glanced at Hinata, signaling that she could go on. "They say that it is useless and only ruins plans and appointments that people have made. But rain is sweet and nurturing. It gives us life and is a beautiful gift from our Father." The walking man blinked on, and the two teens crossed the rain-slick street. "Do you believe in God, Kiba-kun?" Kiba gazed at the dark sky, before answering. "No, I don't." "To not believe in Him is not a crime," Hinata said, noticing Kiba's withdrawing state. "There are many people who corrupt the Father's image, they decide who is worthy of God and they twist his Holy Father's words. Because of that people such as you and I ignore such people and mock their belief." Kiba was shocked...Hinata had actually made fun of those lunatic bible-thumpers too? "Yes, I was once the same. I couldn't stand that level of hypocrisy and their unfaithfulness, so I would make jeers at them. After a while though, I stopped. I had found the true Father and I had learned his word. He showed me many things Kiba-kun." Hinata stopped and Kiba stopped too. The violet-eyed girl pulled back the hood, turning her face up to the pouring sky. Rain drops plopped softly against her skin, running down her face in little streams. "Our Father gave us rain and sun and animals for companionship. He gave us wind, earth and people to love. He wouldn't want us to hate each other, and he doesn't hold anyone to their wrong-doings. He loves all his children, no matter what culture, race, or sexual orientation they are. That is what he has taught me, and I try so hard to follow his teachings."

Hinata paused, her hands clasped together in prayer. Kiba gazed, shivering slightly in the wind, as he watched the girl close her eyes. "Too many people do not see that God is of love. Those that are most prominent in their faith are the ones who are usually corrupt in their belief. I may just be one person, but I will still love and care in the same way my Lord does. After all, his son Jesus did come to save us all because of His great love." Hinata seemed to just glow, and a warmth bloomed in his heart as he heard the raven's words. Her eyes opened and entranced him, and Kiba could clearly see the love and tenderness that she had just spoke of. "W-what...what if I wanted to believe?," he asked fearfully, almost afraid of rejection. The Hyuuga stepped forward and took his hand. "No matter what sin you have done, the Lord won't hold you accountable. If you wish, you can seek Him and he will not turn away. He is real, Kiba-kun, and he cares for you as much as I. He will never hurt you." He couldn't explain it but he felt more at peace than ever before; he didn't feel so cold anymore. He smiled gently, his eyes gazing admiringly at the dark-haired girl before him. "I-i...think I'd like that," he whispered, stuttering just slightly. Hinata wrapped him up into a hug, her head resting on his shoulder.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke sat straight against the couch, his eyes glued to the screen. The Pope was speaking, sunshine and crowds surrounding the old man upon his seat, while rain and thunder circled their home where they sat. His mother and father sat down beside him, enraptured by the program. His obsidian eyes flickered about the room, as he maintained his level of bored attention, searching. Itachi had been disappearing more often as of late...and it made his gut clench in slight fear. His brother's escapades went continuously unnoticed by his parents but Sasuke wasn't as ignorant; he knew something was amiss in his older siblings behavior. _'What are you up to, aniki?'_

**C.M.D: Ok, so here ya go. Another chapter done. I'm going to keep up with Sasuke and Naruto but there will be some Kiba and Hinata stuff happening. I made Hinata christian because I have found that there are a few people that are sweet and kind and they really make me believe that God is a good person and that he truly loves everyone. Of course, there's still the rest of the christian population...**

**(1) I stole this from a book called **_**'The Barcode Tattoo'**_** I don't remember the author. It basically means awesome or great.**

**Tune in next time!!**


	4. Society Belief

1**C.M.D: Wow, I can't believe how many adds and reviews I received in a span of 3-days. More than I get in a month! Well, thank you to everyone who reviewed and added my story, I'm glad that so many enjoy my fic. Anyways, to reply to a few reviews: This fic is labeled as general/angst which means there will be some slightly dark stuff to occur (I mean there's rape, so of course it's kinda dark) so not everything will be rainbows and butterflies. I already have my story planned...so if it doesn't please you later on, I apologize but that's just how the fic plays out. Again, thank you everyone who reviewed, there's too many to mention but you know who you are. I enjoyed reading you reviews; as an author it's great to know people can relate or like my work and comments can be very motivating.////////**

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"A-aaa-aaa...CHOOOOOO!!" Naruto ducked as Kiba lurched from his bed, sneezing at the air. The blonde looked beyond the boy's desk, blue eyes crinkled in worry. "God...are you sure you didn't break something with that sneeze?" Kiba glared at him from his bed, red-rimmed eyes and runny nose not seeming that terrifying to the blonde teen. "Shut ub," the brunette sniffed. Naruto chuckled nervously, standing up fully. "If I approach, I won't get blown away, right?" Kiba glared at him again, trying to growl but only ended up coughing. "Geez," Naruto started, moving over to his friend's side. "What gave you the bright idea to walk around outside without a coat, and during a storm I might add?" Kiba continued to cough, his gold friend rubbing his back as the fit began to calm down. "I -hack- g-gabe by coat toe Hin-nata..." "Ah, so it was worth it?," Naruto asked, sitting down. Kiba nodded his head, not daring to speak. "Make sure to tell me all about it, once you're better Romeo, ok?" Naruto held out his hand and the two teens shared their promise handshake.

"Whab aboot you? Wib Mr. Stakdere?" Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously, turning away from his friend's questioning gaze. "Well, he wasn't there. I guess he got sick as well..." That was a lie, Sasuke was at school. The teen's black eyes had constantly been on him, watching him carefully with that glint that Naruto now recognized as hunger. And that made him somewhat afraid. Naruto didn't want another bathroom situation to occur, so he tried extra hard to avoid the raven. The feeling of being hunted, and having no where to run...that feeling didn't sit well with the blonde. And even though he wanted to tell his best friend; he just couldn't. Sasuke was his problem, and he would deal with the stoic teen in due time. Besides, Kiba needed to focus all his energy on recovering, not worrying over foolish issues. "Oh...I brought you homework!!," Naruto chirped, pulling out of his previous thoughts. Kiba groaned, burying his head under his brown sheets. Naruto ignored his friend's silly actions, pulling out a couple textbooks and a folder full of papers from his bag.

"We've got history homework, some sort of assignment about one of the apostles. You're choice. More math, and believe me I think this is the mother load. And finally we have a bunch of handouts and a planner to make for English. Sounds like fun, huh?" Kiba's eyes surfaced from beneath his cover's folds, narrowed in annoyance at him. "Hey, don't get angry at me. I'm not the one giving out work," the blonde said. Kiba mumbled something softly under his breath, rolling over in bed. Naruto rolled his eyes, and got to his feet. He stepped toward the door, before remembering something. "Oh, yeah. And kiba?" The dog-lover turned to face him, curiosity shining in his brown eyes. "Neji says you're ass is his, when you're all better." Kiba swore loudly -though it came out a little slurred- picking up a rubber duck that Akamaru **(1)**-his terrier- had brought in and chucking it at the spiky blonde. Naruto fled the room, missing the soiled yellow projectile by an inch. He paused a moment, before sticking his head back into the brunette's room. "That poor duck. It never stood a chance against you." Kiba growled and Naruto was quick to make his exit, passing a greeting with Kiba's older sister before stepping outside.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was still drizzling outside, thick grey clouds covering every inch of sky. Sasuke made a sound of irritation, down in his throat, as he stared out of the glass doors. He really didn't wish to walk home, but his duties had kept him behind and the school buses had already left, and public transit wasn't really his thing. Opening his umbrella, Sasuke stepped outside and under the downpour. The asphalt was slick with rain water, and one wrong step could send him falling into the many puddles dotted around the school yard. Brow furrowed in annoyance, Sasuke strode forward, side-stepping puddles and bits of littered trash. His pace led him out of the school grounds, and down the street sidewalk. He walked briskly and without much thought to the things that he passed. His mind was occupied with certain thoughts at the moment anyways, about a blonde that knew of his intentions now. _'Oh, if only he could understand. Lord, would you forgive a sinner for loving when you yourself proclaim that your children should love?' _Shame slowly snaked its way into Sasuke's gut as he broke off from his thoughts. He felt guilty to ask God a question that went against His teachings, even if Sasuke was in love with his blonde.

Shame soon turned to anger though, and Sasuke frowned as he crossed the empty street. _'I'm not at fault, not at all. What kind of being would declare that people should love, and that love is a beautiful thing, and then say that only certain types of love are acceptable?! It's hypocrisy, that's what it is! There has never been proof that God has ever existed, so why should I care about what someone wrote in a book? Perhaps the bible is nothing more than a fictional work, written long ago and misinterpreted by some old saps.' _Sasuke felt that the last thought was indeed true, but it did nothing to quell his rage. Even if God was a myth, like unicorns and dragons, that didn't change anything. His parents would still put their faith and trust in an invisible (more like non-existent) being and to go against his parents would result in nothing. Sasuke couldn't sway what his parents thought, he knew that, and that only made him more angry and sorrowful. If he couldn't sway their belief then he would never be accepted as he was, and he would only be marked as something dirty and unpleasant in his father's eyes.

'_I wish I could break away from this never-ending circle, their church of light and love. I can't see any love or light in that place.'_ Sasuke immediately buried the thought away along with his feelings. It was an impulsive act that he had learned long ago, to hide away such impure things away from God so he couldn't find them, a habit he was unable to break. Sighing within, Sasuke stopped momentarily, before shifting his back-pack. The whole world appeared as a washed-out rag, grey and murky and displeasing to the eyes. Sasuke's lips flattened into a thin line as he gazed around him. This was what his faith was like: washed-out when noone was looking, yet appearing radiant around others. There was no better actor around. Sasuke stepped toward another intersection and was about to turn the corner when something caught his eye. It was him, his beautiful angel. Against the bleak world, Naruto shone bright, his gold hair resting against peach skin so lovely. A baby blue umbrella was open up above his head, almost like an artificial sky the boy could take with him. The blonde was still wearing his school clothes, so he must have been somewhere else and was now returning home. Sasuke ducked back behind the fence outlining a person's yard, peeking out at the approaching teen. The sapphire orbs that deeply enthralled him were closed against tanned lids, a slender hand outstretched and grazing against the fence as Naruto walked forward, eyes closed. Black headphones were snug tight against the other's ears, the pouty pink lips mouthing lyrics that only the blonde could hear.

Sasuke felt his heart thump in his chest as he gazed at the masterpiece that no other person could achieve. Naruto was worthy to be a Mona Lisa painting himself. His appearance was somewhat ethereal, and made him seem as if he didn't belong on this plane of existence. _'If there is a God, it would have to be Naruto.'_ The raven knew for a fact that the blonde teen had no faith, he believed in no religion, but surprisingly Naruto was above them. Despite having a crude tongue that would sometimes make your toes curl, the blue-eyed male had a heart of pure gold and crystal intentions that did not include lies, greed and sin. Naruto didn't make any mistakes, and if he did he was sure to apologize and there was nothing false in his words. He was always true to his promises and was kind and care-free. He didn't conform or loose his temper often, he was very peaceful and many people enjoyed his presence. Naruto made people happier and others adored his bright personality. All of that the boy did without being commanded to from some higher being. All of that was Naruto; all of that captured Sasuke's heart and made him love the blonde more. Sasuke hungered such freedom, but more than anything he longed for Naruto's attention and for that gold heart to warm his bitter one. He wanted to mean everything to Naruto.

Obsidian eyes continued to look at the solemn angel, blue eyes still un-opening to the world. _'That idiot is such a fool. Walking with his eyes closed...what is he thinking?' _Sasuke felt himself become protective over the blonde, worried that the bright teen would end up tripping and hurting himself. He couldn't bear to see those jewel eyes in pain. Naruto was getting closer, his eyes still shut, and Sasuke felt himself get slightly desperate. Should he flee before the blonde saw him, or stay and make his presence known to his heart's captor? The pink lips drew again his attention, as a tongue danced out from the two petals, licking the dried lips before darting back inside. Sasuke made his decision. _'A kiss...a kiss is all I want...' _He dropped his umbrella where he stood, and rushed forward, closing the limited distance between them. He ducked under the blue material and claimed the lips, the sapphire eyes springing open in surprise. He pulled the blonde flush against his body, pinning Naruto down so he couldn't struggle. His tongue traced the bottom lip, savoring the softness before slipping into the surprised mouth. Naruto moaned in discomfort, wriggling in the raven's hold, as the invading tongue snaked into his mouth; dancing along his teeth and gums. The arrogant muscle moved against his own tongue, taking it into the dark-haired male's waiting mouth.

Naruto tried to push away from his assailant, but he was caught, arms pinned against his sides. Fingers sifted through his hair, holding the back of his head, an arm wrapped around his body. His blue eyes opened in indignation, a red blush crossing his cheeks. _'Oh god!! Help, somone please help! I'm being raped!!' _Naruto felt fear coil up in his throat and he would have thrown up if he wasn't slowly losing oxygen. His attacker's face was too close to make out any distinctions, and his fear grew, only to be stopped when midnight bangs appeared. Fear melted away to anger, the blonde knew his attacker was. But he was out of breath and he needed to breath now, so he whined into the intruding mouth, begging for release. _'Air...I need air...'_ Sasuke heard the plea, and with a gentle kiss he released Naruto, pulling back away from the blonde. He made sure he was out of range for a punch, before looking up at his angel. The blonde's gaze was slightly muddled, a blush dusted across his whiskered cheeks, the tan hands gripping his umbrella tightly as the teen panted to regain his breath. Sasuke's heart beat about a mile, his cheeks heating up as he gazed at the other. _'H-he's so beautiful...' _Sasuke stood up straight, touching his lips ever so softly. They still tingled after coming into contact with those plump lips, his tongue could still taste the cranberries and pepper that flavored the blonde's mouth. "B-bastard! What was that for?!" Naruto had finally regained his breath, a hand covering his mouth as he yelled between his fingers, as if afraid Sasuke would try to kiss him a second time.

The raven stared straight into the swirling blue orbs. Naruto caught the stoic teen's gaze and felt himself shift his feet. Sasuke's gaze was so strong, and it made him blush further._ 'Damn bastard...'_ "Well...answer me, dammit!!" Sasuke didn't smirk, he didn't tease or make some excuse, he just continued to look at Naruto with a strange light in his eyes. It wasn't the same as the one Naruto had seen at school earlier. "I just wanted a kiss," the teen finally said, turning around the corner. Naruto flushed embarrassedly, chasing after the raven. "What do you mean you just wanted a kiss?!," he hissed, stopping when he saw the other male bending over to pick up a discarded umbrella. Sasuke didn't say anything, just ran a hand through his wet hair. "Goddamn...that was my first kiss asshole!" "It was mine too..." Naruto had been ready to launch into a rant but stopped when he heard Sasuke's answer. _'I-it was his first kiss?' _Naruto lowered his raised fist, confused. If it had been Sasuke's first kiss as well...then why had he kissed Naruto? "W-well, whatever!" Naruto turned away from the pale teen, hurrying across the street and down the block. Sasuke had confused him so much. He stopped running when Iruka's house came into view. The blonde glanced behind him before stepping into the apartment. He opened the downstairs door using his card key and hurried up the stairs to the second floor.

Sasuke opened the hallway door a crack, watching as Naruto was welcomed at a door by a brown-haired man. When the door closed behind the two, the raven stepped forward, walking to the spot the blonde had stood at. A brass 23 hung on the door. Smirking just slightly, Sasuke stepped away from the door and exited the building. As he was walking away he looked back at the 3-story apartment building. The white walls stood out brightly against the dark sky._ 'It's just like his home to be as bright as he is,'_ Sasuke thought as he walked away. Under the safety of his umbrella, Sasuke let himself smile, thinking of the kiss and of finally knowing where the boy lived.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The cupboard doors creaked slightly as Sasuke opened them, crystal shining in the kitchen light. His pale fingers wove themselves around the stems of four wine glasses, pulling the cups out from their perch. It was his turn to set the table for dinner, while his mother rested momentarily in the living room. Even in the dining room, he could hear Benny Hinn preaching to the large crowds, somewhere in China Sasuke believed. Quietly, the raven set the glasses down at their proper places, before returning to the kitchen. He grabbed the necessary plates, and the red dinner table napkins, before again marching into the dining room to place the items on the cherry oak table. Down the hall, his father's office door opened and there was the sound of hurried feet. Sasuke peeked out from the kitchen as he opened the cutlery drawer, watching as his father practically ran into the living room. And Fugaku did _not_ run. "Honey, Mikoto-sweetheart! I have it, I have it!! The Lord's new message for this Sunday. The Holy Spirit came to me and moved my hand to write all that the Lord wished for me to say!" Fugaku waved a handful of pages around, a delighted smile on his face. Mikoto smiled sweetly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Oh? What does his Lord ask of you now?" Fugaku settled down slightly, clearing his throat before glancing down at his papers. "It's about the most disturbing thing that has effected our country for much too long. About those damned abominations: fags that mingle in our crowds and capture our people in sin. Homosexuality is spreading and it's a disease that needs to be destroyed!"**(2)**

_**CRASH!!!!!!**_

Silence fell in the living room, and Mikoto stuck her head in the kitchen. "Is everything alright Sasuke?," she asked the kneeling boy. Sasuke picked up the dropped knifes, turning to his mother with blank eyes. "I'm sorry, my hands were still a little wet and they fell." Mikoto nodded her head, and exited the room. "As I was saying..." Fugaku's voice drifted into the kitchen as Sasuke got to his feet, putting the dirty silverware into the sink. He glanced down at the sink and realized he was gripping the edge tightly, so tightly that his hands were ghastly white. With a slow, agonizing breath he pried his stiff fingers from the counter, watching as his hands began to tremble once removed. _**"Damned abominations...a disease that needs to be destroyed...he would never be accepted as he was..."**_ _'I am...disgusting...'_ A slow wave of anguish and bitterness flowed through him, burying all other feeling in its passage. Numbly, Sasuke walked out of the kitchen, and headed to the stairs. He jumped slightly when a hand was placed on his shoulder, as if he had forgotten where he was at. He turned his expressionless face back, looking into the worried eyes of his mother. "Sasuke...are you alright? I was calling your name, didn't you hear?" Silence was all Mikoto received. "Well, come on. It's time to eat." She stepped away but the raven didn't follow. "Sasuke?" Obsidian eyes stared straight into her dark brown eyes, unblinking. "I'm retiring to my room. I'm not hungry," the pale teen said. He turned and began to walk up the stairs. "B-but it's your favourite!" Sasuke never looked back once. A door clicked shut, up in the dark hallway, and only then did Mikoto accept that her son wasn't hungry.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Come in," Kiba called as he sat up in bed. He reached over and grabbed his cup off of the night stand, swallowing a mouthful of Gingerale. The bitter drink bubbled down his throat, cleaning out some of the congestion that had slurred his speech earlier during his visit with Naruto. The door opened when he put the cup down, a shy raven stepping into the room. "H-hinata?!" Kiba grabbed his blanket, covering his chest as if he was some naked virgin. "Wha...w-what are you doing here?" The girl stopped short on her way to his bed, bowing her head. "I-I'm sorry. I did not know that I wasn't wanted. I-I'll leave." Hinata turned around to leave, but got no further. "NO!! I-uh-I mean, don't go. I-I'm sorry to make you think that...it's...umm...I just didn't expected you to visit." The violet-eyed girl turned around, smiling shyly, a hand in front of her mouth in the same fashion that she did when she was around Naruto. Kiba blushed as he noticed the gesture, shifting over in his bed. "Umm...s-sorry I don't have any other furniture. Y-you could sit on the bed if you want...if you're not afraid to get sick that is..." Kiba scratched at his cheek, turning his head away but looking at the raven from the corner of his eye. A small chuckle reached his ears, and the bed shifted as more weight was placed on it. "Thank you for the offer, Kiba-kun. Here, I brought you something." "It's not more homework, is it?," Kiba asked, turning to see what the raven had. Hinata giggled and shook her head. "None, I'm afraid," she said. The brunette looked down at the object in her hands: a black leather-bound bible, a small gold-flecked cross sitting at the top of its right hand corner. "You said you wanted to learn more, so I decided before you can learn you should have your very own bible."

Kiba took the book from her hands with great care, and rested it in his lap. "Thank you," he whispered, his fingers tracing the cross. There it was again, that feeling of flying, of warmth bubbling in him as if from a fountain. Everything felt amazing as he sat there, bible in his hands and Hinata's presence lighting everything around. He felt himself become more relaxed and delighted as he continued to sit in her light, feelings of love for the raven faded away as his heart began to beat in earnest for the this man Hinata had called Lord. "Would you teach me?," the brunette asked, looking up at the pale eyes. Hinata smiled again, and leaned in. Her hand rested against his as she opened the black book, turning to the first page; the Book of Genesis. "Chapter 1; verse 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Verse 2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness _was_ upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved..." Hana Inuzuka stepped away from the door, happy that at least her brother wasn't making a complete fool himself in front of the girl that he obviously liked. She stepped down the stairs, the girl's words (_'what was her name? Hinata?'_) still playing out in her head. As a veterinarian, Hana was a strong believer in science and her mother shared the same ideas. God was a whimsical thing to the Inuzuka family. "Who would have guessed Kiba believed in such fairy tales," Hana said to Akamaru. The small dog yipped in reply, and looked back up the stairs longingly. "You can't go upstairs until Kiba is better." The dog whined at the command but Hana ignored it. She was too used to the begging routine.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto sat across from the women dressed in a navy blue suit, the women's black hair splayed out on her shoulders as the women sipped at the tea Iruka-sensei had so kindly offered. Putting the cup down, the women looked at the two men, her dark eyes studying them with scrutinizing detail. "I'm sorry to have troubled you Mr. Uzumaki, but you are 16...and have over-stayed your welcome at Mr. Umino's home." The blonde felt himself stiffen. "B-but I like it here with Iruka-sensei. Why do I have to leave?" Kurenai sipped at her tea again, ignoring the boy's question. "Ms. Yuuhi, Naruto has no where else to go to. Surely you're not going to put him in another home?" Kurenai put the cup down, the cold tea sloshing slightly. "I am only doing my job. Foster homes are only temporary dwellings for a child, until they're able to return to their parents. As you very well know, Naruto doesn't have any. That leaves only adoption." Naruto clenched his fists tightly in his lap. "Then why can't Iruka-sensei adopt me?!," he hissed. The women apparently heard, for she answered, "You may ask him that yourself." Naruto turned to look at his foster parent, but Iruka was too busy glaring at the case-worker with contempt. "I think you should come back another day. Naruto is in no mood to negotiate terms with you." Kurenai shrugged, grabbing her suitcase off from the floor. "As you wish, Mr. Umino." The dark-haired women rose to her feet and was escorted outside by Iruka. Naruto too stunned, sat where he was.

The door was locked and a presence stopped right behind the blonde. "So you don't want me?," the teen spat. Iruka bit his lower lip, and reached out for Naruto. "Naruto..." The chair screeched as the blonde jumped from his seat, leaping away from the brunette's touch. "NO! Don't fucking touch me!!" Iruka's brown eyes filmed over with heat at the boy's anguished fury. "Naruto, please listen to me-" "Why should I? Why should I listen to you? You're just like everybody else! They didn't want me either, and neither do you!!" "Naruto that's not-," again Iruka was interrupted. "Why can't you just tell me if that's how you feel. I'm 16, so why can't anyone just fucking tell me the GODDAMN TRUTH!!" "Naruto, shut the fuck UP!!" Naruto fell silent, shocked that his homely foster parent had actually sworn. "Naruto, I never lied to you and I never will. I love you as if you were my very own son. Believe me, I'm not happy either. Do you think I really want you to go somewhere else where you may only end up abused again?" Iruka's eyes glowed with a sorrowful fury. The blonde looked at his feet, silent. "Then why can't you adopt me?," he whispered. Iruka glanced down at the floor too, ashamed to say why. "B-because...they have rules, Naruto. They won't let someone like myself adopt you." Naruto turned his head up and the brunette could see the tears that dotted those blue eyes. "And what kind of 'someone' are you? Caring, kind, loving? Iruka-sensei you're the only one who has ever cared about me. Why won't they see that?"

Iruka felt his own tears fall as he sat down on one of the dining table chairs. "They...the Agency doesn't prefer single parent adoptions. They have high-standards, and believe that only two-parent homes are suitable for the children." "I-is that all? We can make a case about that! We can plea for them to let you adopt me, can't we?!" Naruto walked to his guardian, kneeling down and clutching the teacher's knee. "Can't we?," he asked again. Iruka shook his head, and felt his heart crush at the crest-fallen expression of the blonde he had cared for, for four years. The brunette felt shameful and dirty, but he knew if he didn't tell him the real reason, Naruto would think him weak for not trying. "T-they won't let me adopt you...because...b-because i-I'm a man and bec-cause...i-i'm...a homosexual..." Naruto's grip on his knee tightened, and Iruka was afraid. _'Naruto...do you despise me now?' _"T-that's not fair!!" Tears flowed down the blonde's cheeks as he gazed up at his foster parent. "E-even if you're gay, you would never do anything to me! You even said so yourself: I'm like a son to you!!" Iruka nodded his head, but his eyes were still sad and lost. Naruto realized it wouldn't change anything. As long as he was in the agency's care, he would be under their control... "Where am I going to go now?," he whispered to the brunette. Iruka shrugged his shoulders, feeling more dismal by the minute. "S-somewhere in the country as far as I know...with another couple...that's all I know..."

Arms wrapped around him, and Iruka hugged the small teen back. Quiet sobs met his ears, his shoulder being soaked with his _son_'s tears. "Iruka-sensei...you were the only father I ever had...I d-don't wan-want..." The words were chocked out with another sob, and the blonde shook in his own trembling arms. Iruka held back a sob as he answered back. "I-I know, Naruto...I know..." The kitchen clock ticked as they sat there, hugging each other, each male crying silent tears. Slowly, the tears ebbed, for they knew there was nothing that they could do. Still they clung to each other, parent and child, afraid to let go. "Iruka-sensei...aishiteru, tou-san...,"**(3)**the blonde whispered. Iruka felt more tears spring to his eyes, as he kissed the mop of golden spikes. "Arigatou, segare,"**(4)** the teacher replied.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**C.M.D: I never expected to finish the 4****th**** chapter so quickly...I guess you could say it was a burst of inspiration. Anyways, I had to add in some of the main plot problems, so there they are. Moving on...**

**(1)I made Akamaru a terrier because I didn't know what type of dog he is, and I know that terriers come in white and are small.**

**(2)I hate people, who hate others, so to write this part was hard- and to think I've got to write **_**more**_**- my research came from godhatesfags(.)com and from a video one of my friends sent me. Here's the link:(http:)//www(.)foxnews(.)com/video2/launchPage(.)html?061206/061206bswfight&Preaching20Hate3F&BigStoryPrimetime&Anti-gay20church20protests20at20fallen20soldiers20funerals&National&-1&Preaching20Hate3F&Video20Launch20Page) **_**(remove the ( ), copy and past this is in ur searchbar)**_

**(3)Naruto is saying to Iruka:**_** I love you, dad**_**- as he considers Iruka his father, even if he really isn't.**

**(4)Iruka is replying with: **_**Thank you, my son**_**. Or at least that's what the translation said.**

**Foster care really does work like that sometimes. They are accepting of single parent adoptions but some places don't believe a single parent is worthy of taking care of a child, and many services can be slightly hostile to homosexuals. Keep reviewing, as you're reviews have made me update twice in a month. That's a 1****st**** for me!! **


	5. Silver in His Wings

1**Sunday**

Water sloshed as vomit fell into the porcelain bowl, spotting the insides and swirling about before settling down. Sasuke held himself carefully over the toilet bowl, the hand holding onto the seat trembling. The smell wrinkled his nose and made his senses gag, but pulling back only caused his stomach to erupt in pain and send him lunging forward again as he retched. As the wave of nausea passed, the raven gently sat back, leaning against the cubicle walls. He felt so exhausted and the churning in his gut wasn't helping. Outside the bathroom walls, he could hear the choir, their once beautiful and rising notes sounding twisted and broken to his ears. Sasuke curled his legs up into his chest, fingers grabbing at his face as his eyes stung. He had run away, right in the middle of the sermon. He had never done that before, and he had no doubt that his father would pry later. Fighting down the sobs that threatened to rise, Sasuke tried to distract himself from the words his father had spoken; the hate and disgust that honeyed each sentence. They cut down into him, tearing him open and leaving him feeling an emotion he had never felt before: desolation and maddening sorrow. Everything had become utterly hopeless now…. "G-god…why have you forsaken me?"

**Monday**

Naruto held his bookbag closer, side-stepping through the lunchroom crowd as he hustled into the cafeteria. His cerulean eyes scanned the red tables desperately, finally spotting the ragged hood of his best friend. He hurried through the maze of tables and chairs, and pulled up behind the brunette just as he rose to his feet. "Eh…oh, hey Naruto," Kiba greeted. Naruto grabbed the dog-lover's arm and steered him off into a corner. "Kiba, I need to talk to you." The dark eyes looked into his own for a second before glancing away. "I can't right now, man. I promised Hinata we'd get together for lunch," Kiba pulled away from the blonde, reaching into his ratty knapsack. "Maybe after school, foxy," he said, before trailing off, a bible in hand. Naruto stared off at his best friend, stunned and feeling even more sick than he had a moment before. "Shit…." Sneakers scuffed against the linoleum as Naruto exited from the café, hurrying up the nearest flight of stairs. He slowed to a walk when he reached the top landing, moving down the quiet hallway. He passed six blue classroom doors before stopping. In front of him were a pair of wooden paneled doors, a bronze handle on each.

The blonde grabbed the gleaming handle, opening the heavy door and slipping into the empty room; the wood door grinding shut behind him. He was in the school Chapel, he noted; a place he had never been in before. A couple pews on each side laid in respective fashion, a small alter decorated with a cross stood at the front surrounded by dark red curtains. No lights were on, only short rays coming through the small stained-glassed alcove windows cut into the right wall brightened the room enough to make out shapes and large details. Remaining silent, as if to give respect, Naruto stepped forward and sat himself in the first row pew. A statue of the Virgin Mary stood not far from him, her arms stretched out as if to give a hug. The blonde let out a gentle sigh, lowering his eyes and staring at his feet. He had wanted to tell this to Kiba, but…. "Hey…. I don't know if there's a god, or if you even exist but I'm willing to believe anything at this moment…."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke sat frozen in place, listening silently as his desired one spoke not far away from him. The shadows and red curtains concealed him well enough that the raven could be sure he wouldn't be seen in the dim light, as he remained at his post near the alter. Feeling in his feet began to go away as the raven continued to squat behind the statue of the Virgin Mary, the stone cold against the heat of his back. But he was too afraid to move, or make any sound lest he be caught by the troubled blonde. A slow intake of breath drew his attention, and Sasuke tensed slightly, worried that he had been found. But what followed was only the fox's words. "Fucking social workers...i-I'm an orphan, not that many people know...but i-I've definitely been...around, I guess you can say." A pause, and Sasuke took the moment to let this new information sink in. He had never known that the blonde was an orphan. Sasuke took a slow breath, the chapel's silence ending once again as Naruto spoke up from the pews. "I-I've got two weeks...t-then I'm gone again, just after I had found a home with Iruka-sensei... h-he's a cool guy, ya know. Actually cares about me...when noone else did..."

A slight ache resounded from within the raven, Naruto felt that noone cared for him?_ 'I care about you Naruto...' _"A-and..." the blonde's voice was cut off by a sob, " i-I can't stay with Iruka-sensei...j-just because- because he's gay! T-the fucking services don't let homosexuals adopt!!" There was a bang, and Sasuke risked a peek over the statue's stiff arms. The golden-haired teen had kicked the pew and was now crumpled up in the second pew, head buried in his palms. Even from here, Sasuke could see the blonde's shoulders shaking as he held in the sobs that followed his tears. Sasuke tore his eyes away, ashamed to be looking at this broken version of his beloved. It seemed almost forbidden to see a crying Naruto. The silence again fell, filling the room, out-lining the sorrow that hung about each of the individuals. Sasuke rested his head on his knees, lost in his own tangle of thoughts. His mother's rosary beads, still wrapped in his fingers from earlier, gleamed in the faint light. "I...i-I don't know anymore," Naruto was speaking again, his voice laced with suppressed sobs. "I don't want t-to leave...i-I don't want to..." Sasuke jumped as the bell rang somewhere above his head, shattering the forlorn atmosphere and returning both boys to the present. The raven listened as Naruto sniffled as he tidied up, the blonde's sneakers scuffing off the floor as the other male walked to the chapel doors. "I just want to stay at the home I've finally found."

The doors opened and ground shut as the fox-like teen left, leaving the raven all alone again. Sasuke stayed as he was a few moments longer before getting to his feet. He dusted himself off, stretching his numb limbs, listening distantly to the sea of teenagers hurrying to class just outside the sanctuary of the empty room. His obsidian eyes gazed at the closed wooden doors, then to the bronze cross bathed in rainbow light. He quickly approached the religious symbol, placing his pale hands in prayer. Sasuke bowed his head slightly before straightening again. "I hope for Naruto's sake, you exist." His black orbs stared at the cross in tired scrutiny, then the raven left as well, heading to his last period class.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hard blue eyes watched in sad disdain as Kiba hurried down the school step's, rushing to Hinata Hyuuga's side with a smile plastered across his tattooed face. _'H-he didn't even notice me?'_ Naruto gazed after his friend who had just ran right by him without even a passing word. For a moment longer the blonde watched the dog-lover board one of the yellow buses, right behind the raven. People continued to walk past him, chatting merrily as if nothing was wrong. _'That's right,' _Naruto thought bitterly. _'Nothing's wrong in _their _lives.'_ The teen strode down the steps, and past the line of school buses, fists clenched tightly in his pockets. In his anger, the walk home didn't nearly take as long as usual, and stomping upstairs Naruto wished the journey had taken longer. The blonde looked up at the windows of his apartment, before turning away. _'Maybe one more trip around the block...'_ Going at a slower pace now, Naruto walked down the street, staring down at the concrete sidewalk. Younger children were starting to get out of school now, their laughter peeling through the air. Naruto looked up as a couple boys ran by him, laughing and calling each other names as they ran across the street, causing a driver to step on the brakes and honk at the two boys before they disappeared around the corner; laughing still.

Fingers reached up and grabbed at the flesh of his chest, right over his heart, as a sudden pain tore through him. It was that ever familiar feeling of helplessness and loneliness; the painful despair that he hadn't felt in quite a long time. _'Figures it takes losing my best and only friend around the same time that I've got to lose my only home and have gained another potential molester.'_ Fighting back the tears that threatened to fall, Naruto straightened back up, gazing around him to see that he was alone. Wiping away whatever tears remained in his eyes, the fox teen turned around and began the trek home, feeling a little bit better- well, not quite as emotional as before. He smiled brightly, opening the apartment door and greeting Iruka with a hug, chuckling as the teacher got angry at him for not yet taking off his dirty sneakers. _'I may have to leave, but I'm going to make it the best last two weeks ever!'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke stared at his computer screen, ignoring the rumbling of his stomach as he knew he wasn't going to eat anytime soon. After all, hostility and unease did not make very good side dishes. Before his eyes were pictures of naruto, the smiling blonde that had captured his heart and made him hate his parents' loathsome religion. Only now, Sasuke couldn't see the cheerfulness and the light that had reached the inner depths of his soul. The pictures' smiling faces were turned down into tight-lipped frowns, the sparkling blue eyes were crumbled in with tears and bitter sorrow. The raven lunged forward, turning the screen off and plummeting his room into evening darkness. He couldn't bear to stare anymore when all he could see was a tearful face that tore and ripped at his heart. Releasing a sigh, Sasuke leaned back in his chair, running a hand down his face. He wanted desperately to go over to Naruto's house and hug the blonde, whisper sweet nothings into his ear but he knew the action wouldn't be appreciated. "How can I help the one I love if I'm never given the chance? Is this some sort of payback for mocking you, _oh supreme Lord_?" Sasuke glared up at his ceiling, no response sounding at his question. Again, the dark-haired teen sighed. A door clicking down the hall caught his attention, and the male panicked for a moment. What if someone had heard? What if his father had heard?

Sasuke got to his to his feet, opening his door and gazing around the dark hall. Downstairs cutlery clicked as people ate, the small hum of chatter reaching up the steps. The raven was about to close his door when he noticed that a line of light was coming from the space beneath his brother's door. Confused, the black-headed teen walked toward his brother's door, hand lingering over the doorknob. _'W-what's wrong with me? It's just Itachi...'_ But still something inside him told him he wouldn't like what he saw if he opened the door. Pushing aside his irrational fear, Sasuke let his pale hand grip the knob before turning it and opening the door. Edging it open a crack, Sasuke rested his face against the wood, peering through the open crack with one obsidian eye. Itachi stood not far away from him, his back turned to the door and facing his dresser. There was something in the older male's hands. "A-aniki...?" Itachi's head snapped around, gazing at Sasuke with one intimidating eye, before turning back around to the object in his hands. The older Uchiha son placed the silver thing into his top dresser drawer, closing it quietly and without hurry. Slowly, Itachi turned around and faced his younger brother.

Sasuke looked at the dresser still, his eyes wide with slight panic. "What do you want, otouto-kun?" "N–nothing aniki...I-I just wanted to make sure you were home." Ignoring the cold stare his brother was giving him, the young teen fled from his brother's room and returned to his own, trying to appear as calm as he could. His nerves gave out though as soon as he had closed his door, and leaning against the wood the raven tried to regain function of his lungs, hyperventilating as he fought panic. Because Sasuke was sure of what he had seen in his aniki's hands, the object that was now in his brother's top dresser drawer.

A small, thin silver _handgun_.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kiba smiled as Hinata laughed, her tiny hand held up to her face as she giggled. The brunette's heart swelled at the image, the girl's laughter ringing beautifully in his ears. Without a doubt, he was falling deeper in love with the Hyuuga girl. Hinata finished giggling and turned her lavender eyes up to his chocolate ones. "I-I'm sorry, Kiba-kun. I didn't mean to interrupt." Kiba shook his head, picking up a fry and munching on it. "No, it's no problem. Laughter is good and I don't think your Lord would want you not to laugh." Hinata smiled deeply, blushing lightly. "T-thank you, Kiba-kun. The Lord is happy when his children are happy. But don't forget, you are his child as well." The dog-boy scratched the side of his cheek, feeling a little embarrassed himself now. "Yeah...Hinata, c-could you go over the bible with me again? I'm a little confused." The raven girl nodded, pushing aside her plate of fries as she leaned across the table. Kiba followed her example, pushing his $3.50 fries aside and putting his bible out on the table. His rugged fingers pointed out the section he was having trouble with, and Hinata simply smiled. "I see you've skipped ahead a few chapters." Kiba smiled embarrassingly. _'A few chapters'_ would have been an understatement. The brunette had practically skipped several sections of the old testament. "Yeah, well...I was kind of interested in this dude, Job." The raven giggled, and the dog-lover wandered what he had said to make her laugh. "Kiba-kun," the girl began, noticing his baffled expression. "Job is not pronounced as 'job'. His name is pronounced as 'Joe-b'." Kiba could only open is mouth in an 'o' and nod his head.

Hinata turned back to the passage, asking the brown-haired teen. "What is it you don't understand, Kiba-kun?" The spiky brunette leaned back and scratched his chin, slightly nervous. Would asking her his question offend her? "Well, ya see..." he started shakingly. "Remember when you told me God cared for everyone and loved all his children? Well, here God's letting all these bad things happen to Job, even though the man's really faithful and loves God with all his heart. Why does he do that?" If what Hinata was saying the week earlier true, then the chapter of Job contradicted her words. If that was the case, that would mean that the black-haired girl was a...liar. Hinata seemed to pick up on his chain of thought, and looked up at him, staring straight into his eyes. "Kiba-kun, I would never lie to you. Yes, Job's story seems to show that God does not care but he does. It was Satan, also known as the Devil, who did all these bad things to Job because he believed Man was shallow. Anybody can say they love god when everything is going good in their life...not many can say that when their lives' are miserable." A pause in the girls' speech, allowed her to catch her breath and to let the male teen squirm guiltily I his seat. "In the end, Job still loved God because he'd had always had a good life and knew that this trial in his life was probably just a test. After failing to prove Job as shallow as anyone else, Satan went away and God returned to Job all that he had lost and Job was never happier."

Hinata smiled softly, before reaching out and grabbing his hand in her own two. "God will never forsake us, even if things are hard, he'll always be waiting for us at the end. He'll help us along, he'll always be there for us. Even if other people are shallow and are cruel, or mean...he won't be." Kiba sat frozen, his gaze focused on Hinata's lowered head. He could see the gentle shake of her shoulders and decided it was best to not say anything. Carefully the brunette leaned across the table, wrapping his free arm around the raven's shoulders and resting his chin against her head. "He'll never leave us, or hurt us...I trust you and him, Hinata. He would never betray you," he whispered softly. The female said nothing just clutched tighter to his hand, her shoulders shaking still. Kiba was content to stay as he was, if it would better suit the black-haired girl.

**C.M.D: This was a pretty short chapter considering, but I wanted 2 get it out n honestly I liked the shortness for this chapter. I will get around to explaining further what's happening with sasuke and his father, sasuke and his brother, and hinata crying but for now I'm going to leave you hanging in suspense. I was initially going 2 write the father's sermon and write in better detail sasuke's running out- but it sickened me 2 even think of some of the cruel words used against gay people n I couldn't write it. It just goes against my morale code, so forgive me. Maybe later on when I've become indifferent 2 certain topics, I'll come back n write in the father's sermon...**

**This chapter was a little sadder I think, but now I'm actually adding in more of the conflict issues. Sasuke knows of Naruto's leaving...what will he do, I wonder...Thanks 4 the many reviews, pleez keep them coming. I enjoy ur feedback -comments and all questions r accepted n even encouraged!! How many fanfic authors do u kno that actually ask 4 flames n questions?...moving on...I'll keep researching n I'll update as soon as I can. Until then, Ja Ne!!**


	6. Even the Godly cast Shadows

It was cold. That's the first thing Hinata noticed as she entered the school, walking over to her locker. _'Strange,' _she mused. _'It's only early fall…much too soon for the cold.' _The air felt frigid and even her lock was ice in her palm as she spun the dial. People moved around her, their shouts and greetings fading into white noise; the buzz of a swarm. The lock clicked and fell into her open hand, letting her swing the rustic red door open. A glance at her watch told the raven that she had ten minutes before home room: enough time she decided. Standing on tip-toe, Hinata reached into the locker, pulling out her Law textbook and placing her Math textbook inside. Her locker groaned like a wounded beast as she shut it, clicking her lock back in place. The pale-eyed teen slipped her bible on top of her textbooks in her arms, hugging the books close as she moved on to her morning class. A body slammed into her own, sending Hinata to the floor and her books a few feet away from her. The raven turned to the person she had collided with, an apology on the tip of her tongue, but she felt the words die in her throat as her white orbs landed on Sakura. "Hey, watch where you're going, retard!," the cheerleader screeched, her lips twisted in a snarl. Hinata bowed her head, stuttering an apology as she scrambled to gather her things up off the floor. The pink-haired scoffed before rushing away. "Freak," she called back, kicking away Hinata's bible with a black heel as Hinata's hand was just about to pick it up.

The raven-haired girl turned her pale eyes up at Sakura's retreating back, watching as the other female joined the herd circling around Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata swallowed back her tears, realizing the reason for Sakura's foul mood was because she had gotten in the other's way. She felt truly guilty for blocking people's path, the coldness of the school seemed to sink into her and made her insides feel heavy with black ice, as she scooped up her bible; pressing it against her chest as she hurried to class. The morning run-in was going to make her late. Already though, the cold that had descended on her upon entering the school melted away as the warmth of the Lord's love seeped through his words and into her chest. The ice inside her thawed out, leaving her heart beating with tender warmth. By the time Hinata had opened the door for science class, she was all smiles and felt higher than air. With the Lord's love, nothing else mattered.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The school day passed by quite quickly for Hinata, or perhaps it was because she couldn't keep track of time, for the her heart and mind were occupied with the Holy Spirit and she was glowing with the Lord's Affection. As third period had ended, the raven anticipated her meeting with Kiba. With her bible held securely but lovingly in her hands, the girl hurried to meet the dog-lover out in the courtyard. The courtyard was placed between three walls of the school, the front hidden by a bridge, a couple of the school's largest trees and a black iron gate. Two glass doors on opposite walls opened into the courtyard, allowing the students to immediately leave the hallways and step outside. A small fountain was built near a pond, surrounded by three more trees and a bushel of beautiful daisies. Spotted all over the courtyard were little bundles of flowers and thin maple trees; stone benches littered about mostly under the cool shade of extending tree branches.

What fascinated Hinata the most about the courtyard though was the large circle mosaic that was situated in the space between the two glass doors, three stone paths (one leading to the iron gate, and the other to each of the doors) connecting to the stone masterpiece. The mosaic's outer rim was created using pieces of the most beautiful lilac grey rock, the stones getting darker and darker until they reached the center, where the stones suddenly turned white; splitting out in the shape of a star before roan red stones formed the Lord's cross in the middle. It was a work of art and Hinata found her light lavender orbs always drawn to it, her heart always beating when she stepped on the mosaic's first stone. A voice called the raven from her thoughts and she turned to the source, delighted to see it was Kiba. His hood was pulled up over his messy hair, as he waved encouragingly at her, beckoning as well for her to come over. Giddy as she was, she hastened to his side, smiling wider as she saw the bible gripped in his other hand. The dog-lover smiled back, lowering his arm and seating himself on a stone bench. Hinata followed suit, paying little attention to the cold that chilled her butt, and placed her bible on her lap.

Silence ensued for a few moments, though it wasn't awkward as both parties were enjoying the momentary peace, before they launched into discussion; Kiba asking questions to which the dark-haired girl eagerly replied to. Then the two slipped into reading, quietly digesting the Heavenly Father's words as the world passed on around them. After sometime, Hinata paused in her reading, turning her gaze up into the sky. It was a strange feeling that was flooding through her, one she couldn't place, and she couldn't bear to look down at the bible in her lap. Distracted, her pale lavender orbs searched the blue heavens above before glancing down at the third floor windows. Her eyes caught the colored glass and she remembered that the school's chapel windows gazed out over the courtyard. Picturing the dark, dreary chapel made her feel frightened and terror ran through her being. She recalled... _-voices yelling, screaming. "Shut up! Shut up!!" locks that clicked, dragging, dragging, dragging...chains dragging?! Crying...who was crying?...she was crying.__Tears that fell, salty and stinging...why? __Dark, it was dark, and heavy, heavy dark...and there it was, there!- _"Hinata?" The question brought her out of her reverie, and she noticed she wasn't breathing, so she commanded herself -_'Breathe...breathe!'_- and slowly she gulped at the air, the heat fading from her eyes which had turned to gaze at the brunette beside her.

The tattooed teen's face was crinkled in worry, his brown eyes focused on her. Hinata felt strange under that gaze and schooled herself to appear unaffected, after all there was nothing wrong; they had just been reading. Kiba continued to watch her, his mind telling him to ask the raven 'what's wrong?', but his lips refused to form the words. In all honesty, Hinata seemed okay now, albeit a little confused, but still...he couldn't remove from his mind the image of her: white-faced and terrified. _'Doesn't she remember?'_, the dog-lover questioned, and even more now he wondered what had happened to Hinata before. "Well," the brunette said after a moment. "Come on. The bell rang so we need to get to class." Kiba got to his feet, holding out his hand which Hinata took gratefully. Together the two entered the school, before parting ways and heading to their proper classes. The disturbance of lunch drifted from the dark-haired girl's mind and once again her thoughts were preoccupied with her Heavenly Father.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hinata had speculated that she and Kiba would have another meeting after school at the local café but it was not the brown-haired teen that awaited her. Surprised as she was, the raven still felt uneasy as she approached her cousin Neji. Her kin's pale eyes locked onto her, never gazing away even as they boarded their bus, sitting side by side in the grey-back chair. The happiness that had bubbled within her earlier was finally fading now, and even her bible -the cover worn between her two hands- couldn't offer her the same comfort amidst her cousin's presence. The yellow vehicle made its rounds, and a few stops later Hinata exited the bus, trailing silently behind Neji. The school bus groaned and coughed as it pulled away from the curb leaving the two relatives to stand only mere meters away from their home. Hesitantly, Hinata stepped forward, intent on moving around Neji when her raven-haired cousin spoke. "You remember, don't you?" The raven turned to Neji confused, her eyes focused on his long hair that fluttered in the afternoon breeze. "I-i...don't kn-kno-" "You do know, Hinata," Neji interrupted, turning to face her. "I've noticed while you've been with that Inuzuka boy. They're resurfacing." Hinata clutched tightly to her bible. It was a black twisted fear that rose in her, despite her confusion, telling her that it was familiar. So very familiar...

Neji loomed over her, making her feel small under the older one's gaze. "It was after my arrival," the older Hyuuga said, emotionless in his tone. "I think I was to blame..." _-voices...voices that rose, rose. Louder and louder! Screeching, screaming, shattering like glass. _"_I don't give a damn! Get rid of that little freak!!" breaking, __crying, wailing. More yelling. It was dark, dark, quiet; the voices were getting through the cracks. _"_Fine, dammit!! Fuck off!" stomping feet coming closer, closer. Light filling up, the dark! The dark was disappearing! "N–" _"-no-ooo...," Hinata grabbed at her eyes, feeling the tears between her thin fingers. Salty...salty like the image in the dark. "Do you remember her face? You can't even recall her name, can you Hinata? She was you mother..." _- "Move it! We're going!" Hands, clawed hands, rough hands. They grabbed, tugged, pulled. __She didn't want to walk, didn't want to move. "N-noo..." pulling her, pulling her arms; everything was starting to get sore. "What?! You want to stay here?!? You really are his daughter." __Grumbling, the voices settle, rise again. "None of you fucking appreciate what I do! What I've done!" the light burned; dark...where was the dark? "Stupid little brat!!" a cry, __was it hers? The dark, the dark was back; hitting her back, where its most sore. A slamming door, clicking. It was darker here, cold, dreary...small. Small, SMALL! "A-aah-aaAAHHHH-" _"Hinata," it was light again. Light...but the light hurt. She wanted to get away. But she couldn't. The arm grabbed, held her down, held her close to a beating heart. Her feeble struggles did nothing. "You were traumatized, locked away in the cupboard so long... The doctors said you might never recover that part of your life; that your amnesia to that moment was a self-defense mechanism." The voice droned on, the words barely registering in her mind but just echoing through the panicked haze of her thoughts. Slowly she pried her fingers away from her face, looking down at the pink fingertips that were damp with tears. The arm still held her, an anchor that kept her from drifting of into the fear and darkness that was still etched across her memory, but now she could breathe and the light didn't hurt so much. Slowly her thoughts were putting themselves back together, like jigsaw pieces falling into place, and the warmth of the arm made her aware. The darkness there, pushed aside for years in her mind was now up in the open even if it was fuzzy in places, and it wasn't going to go away now. It was time to know, the memory said, and she felt better, more able to deal with the memory. The confusion was gone, and an understanding filled her. Hinata wiped her eyes, and gently pushed away from the arm. Neji's eyes were still focused on her, but the gaze didn't seem as cold now. The dark-haired girl turned her gaze away, picking up her discarded bible before side-stepping past her cousin. A hand on her skull made her pause for a second. "May your Lord heal you of your pain." Hinata held the bible close to her chest, stepping away from the comforting hand and toward the steps of their home. In her mind, her cousin's words continued to repeat.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Neji wasn't cold. He wasn't stuck-up, emotionless, or selfish. People themselves had made that opinion because of his quietness and unwillingness to get involved with anything. He had better things to do, and the most important was to watch over his eldest cousin. He'd watched over her for years since that night, watching for subtle signs should the memories ever resurface. He was her guardian, though she wasn't aware of it and was afraid of him like everyone else was. Perhaps through the years he could have been a bit warmer to her, a bit more open with his emotions. But he didn't trust the turmoil of feelings that flooded his being on a daily basis. He'd seen how open emotions worked to destroy the very person they belonged to, and he couldn't waste time with personal problems. Not when he had raven-haired girl to watch out for. True, Neji knew the doctors had said that Hinata may never recover her memories of that day, but the dark-haired male also knew that some people did remember. It only required a certain scent, or word or even a total different situation to waken things that the mind had tucked away in the subconscious. So Neji watched over Hinata, observing her and the world around her, fearing in the pit of his stomach the chance of her recalling anything and how that would effect her.

He himself remembered the night clearly, as he had been the main argument that night...as he had been many nights before that. He had entered Hiashi's household when he was four years hold, just shortly after he lost his father -the only parent he had- in a tragic car accident one summer night; a few days before his birthday. His uncle, Hiashi, had grudgingly took him in, sparing not much thought about the young boy after that. Neji's bitterness grew with his father's death and the uncaring of his uncle who was a mirror-image of his father. He became quiet and cold, walking the halls of that hated house like a shadow. Hinata's mother, who was a beautiful women herself, had always been unnerved by his father and him, and her unease turned to disgust as his quiet and kind demeanor turned harsh and uncaring. She complained many nights to Hiashi, and within a year the complaints turned to arguments that were mostly done on her part. The women herself began to slowly turn cold and hateful, so much so that she would have fits over anything that her children did, Hanabi as well though she was only a newborn then. She constantly demanded that everyone shape up and respect her as they should, and that the freak -as she called him- be thrown out or given to someone else to be a burden. Hiashi was steadfast though, and didn't take part in her arguments or do as she had commanded. Neji, even in his hate for the man, respected Hiashi for that. The oldest Hyuuga could see that his wife was corrupted women and was not worth listening to.

But still the fights happened, and things broke and Hiashi had to physically restrain his wife from causing any of them harm. Things for a while had calmed down, and the peace was welcome, but as that saying goes... all good things come to an end. The argument that night had been the worst by far, anger exploding from Hinata's mother like a maelstrom and quickly swamping everything. The two couple had stood in the kitchen, the wife yelling at the top of her lungs at the stoic Hiashi, and when he gave no reaction she had begun to trash the room. Hiashi had attempted to stop her, but she hit him upside the head with a vase that had been sitting on the counter. Neji, who had been in the living room, watched as the daises Hinata had picked that afternoon fell to the floor and were the trampled on. Hinata's mother hurried out the room, leaving a dazed Hiashi behind, stomping up the stairs. Neji stepped to the other side of the living room, listening as a door was opened and a small scuffle broke out. Anger burned in the dark-haired boy as he heard Hinata's feeble cries to 'stop' and 'let go'. His pale orbs watched as the women dragged the raven girl down the stairs, and he almost smirked in satisfaction when the young Hinata kicked out, hitting her mother in the shin. Hinata's mother yelped in pain, releasing the child momentarily, but long enough for Hinata to get away. The girl ran toward the kitchen, unthinking. Neji's heart leapt up into his throat as he watched the evil women recover and give chase, his own feet moving to follow after the two. There was a smack, and he entered the kitchen in time to see Hinata be shoved into one of the lower cupboards.

Each of the cupboards had locks on them, installed when Hinata was a baby for when she was crawling around so she wouldn't get into things that she shouldn't while she explored. Now Hinata's mother had shoved her into one and turned the lock on the tiny cupboard. Hiashi saw this, as he got to his feet but he didn't move to stop it. His wife spun around, and spotted him, but her eyes continued on landing on Neji. The women gave an animalistic howl and launched herself at him, glass and porcelain shards flying, kicked into flight as the mad women ran for him. Neji managed to dodge and roll past the women, taking refuge under the kitchen table, watching as Hiashi launched himself at his ballistic wife; gripping her tightly in his arms. Hinata's mother continued to screech and struggle, and Hiashi slowly began to move her out of the kitchen and down the hall. From upstairs, Neji could hear tiny Hanabi wailing loudly in her crib. The dark-haired boy tried to move, but he noticed that his bare arms stung and he looked to see them covered in little cuts. Pieces of glass and porcelain clung to his clothes and continued to poke him as he shifted positions. His light lavender eyes could see the tiny pieces of shards that covered the entire kitchen floor now, and even thought Hinata's muffled screams beckoned for him to release her, he knew he could do nothing while the kitchen was in this state. The sound of more things toppling over and more glass shattering reached his ears as he scrambled forward, cringing in pain but not stopping as he hurried to the broom closet, pulling out the dust pan and little brush. Screams continued to echo from down the hall, and the house was like a symphony of noise, surrounding Neji like a blanket with its twisted notes and shattering scales. He made several trips to the kitchen garbage can, his wrist swore and his eyes aching as he struggled to see even the tiniest pieces that hid themselves on the white floor. When the screaming dropped down several decimals with the cue of a slamming door, Neji dumped the rest of his load and threw the dust pan and brush aside, running to the kitchen entrance. He could see Hiashi standing silently at the front door, gazing at the closed door, before stepping away and toward the stairs. Neji watched confused before hate seethed through his being. That man...how could he leave his oldest daughter locked up in the cupboard? Neji turned away, taking off his pajamas and throwing them into the trash as well. It would take to long to pick the glass out of his clothes.

He rushed to the cupboard, no sound reaching his ears from within, and fumbled with the lock before it finally opened. The crumpled form of his cousin met his eyes, and for a moment his breathe was gone. The dark-haired head of Hinata moved and turned toward him, the similar eyes squinting against the light. "Neji-nii-san, we done playing now?" The young boy was confused at his cousin's words. They hadn't been playing any games. Not knowing what else to do, he nodded and pulled her out of the cupboard, hugging the raven girl. "Neji... I tired..." Hinata yawned and wrapped her arms around his neck, falling limp in his arms. Gently he got to his feet and shuffled to the staircase. Hanabi's crying had ceased by now, and the silence in the house was suffocating. Neji gripped his cousin tightly, stepping up the stairs, struggling with the weight in his arms and trying not to fall. Hiashi appeared at the top of the stairs, and Neji held a hopeful thought that Hiashi would now tend to his hurt daughter. But the man just walked past the two children, not even sparing them a glance as he walked down the steps. Neji grit his teeth in anger at Hinata's father, trudging up the final steps and onto the second floor landing. He moved easier now towards his cousin's room, walking into the dark and setting the sleeping girl unto the mattress. The little boy pulled the pink comforter up to Hinata's chin, patting her gently on the head before leaving her room.

The months following that were tense and uneasy in the household. Hinata was taken to a psychiatric doctor weekly, where she was studied for any developments in character, but it was still determined that she had forgotten anything that had happened that night and she as well had forgotten even ever having a mother. Neji was glad at that part. That cruel women could never be called Hinata's mother. Hiashi divorced his wife and gained custody over the house and the children. The court judged Hinata's mother unworthy of even visitation rights, but the women didn't even seem to care that much. Now there were only two people in the house that knew what had happened and had to take charge and make the best of the change. Hinata could do nothing in her amnesia but play, while Neji who had already grown with his father's death and even more so with that night took to taking care of things around the house. Hiashi worked longer and more often now, taking care of Hanabi when he was home. Neji had become a caretaker over his two younger cousins, Hinata especially. He watched over her as she grew, and cared and supported her in his own quiet way. And when Hinata picked up Christianity, Neji backed her up in her beliefs though he never actually said anything, while her father criticized the religion and left it at that. But he had noticed how the faith was changing Hinata, making her stronger internally and making her reflect more on her thoughts and memories. Neji could see that soon the raven would remember that night, and he could only hope that the strength his cousin gained from this Lord of hers would keep her stable and well despite the pain and trauma that would follow. Then Kiba came into the picture. Hinata began spending more time with the veterinarian's son, and the emotions she discovered with the other teen were slowly triggering her memories.

Neji could see this, saw the memories begin to sift through, saw the near recall that one night at the café when Hinata began to cry without reason. And he was afraid. He didn't want Hinata to spend so much time with the Inuzuka...at least not until she remembered completely and in the safety of her own home. Recalling that part of her life out in public would make cause for rumors and questions, and Neji knew from experience that those were not something anyone would want to live through, when all they wanted was to sort things out, deal with it and keep it secret from the rest of the judgmental world. That's why he had accompanied Hinata home tonight, that's why he had brought her mother up. So she could finally remember and sort through it. Better now than later. Neji walked into the Hyuuga house, closing the door behind him. He left it unlocked, knowing Hanabi would be coming home shortly and walked into the kitchen. After the divorce, the kitchen had been remodeled. Now it had cherry oak wood flooring and cupboards. The counters were made of black marble, the walls a deep forest green and ceiling lamps filling the room with a warm glow. The new look made it easy to forget what happened here. The raven pulled out a large green pot, filling it with water and placing it on the stove top to boil. Tonight, he decided would be pasta. The front door opened, then closed and locked, and moments after tiny feet scampered into the kitchen. "Good afternoon, brother Neji," Hanabi greeted, giving her cousin a hug.

Neji patted her head, and turned back to his tomatoes Hanabi had always called him brother though he was only her cousin. "Hello, Hanabi. Go do your homework and I'll call you when dinner's ready." The young girl nodded before leaving, giggling as she hurried upstairs. _'Yes,_' Neji thought. _'It's easy to forget what's happened here, now that things are calmer and more relaxed. But for us that know...it's hard to forget.' _

**C.M.D: this chapter was focused around Hinata (well, hinata n neji) cuz...well, cuz I wrote it 2 be. I really have no other reason, I guess I just wanted 2 take a break from the SasuNaru angst that was kind of happening and besides I needed 2 write the reason 4 hinata's crying last chapter. Anyways...**

**Enjoy my avid readers!! N remember 2 review!! It makes me happy n happy authors write more!**


	7. Demon Heart

Coal eyes gazed unblinkingly up at the white ceiling, their owner tangled up in thoughts too important to leave alone. Naruto was leaving, being taken away from him in a week and a half's time. Sasuke let his lids fall for a second before opening them again. He was thinking but not really thinking, the strange sort of thought cycle that buddhists usually experienced during meditation. He closed his eyes again, opening them a moment later. The darkness bent and twisted as cars drove down the street, their headlights gliding across the ceiling quickly before returning the room to its greyness. "Naruto...," the dark-haired teen whispered, shutting his eyes again. The name caused his thoughts to swirl about wildly, his body suddenly hit with the full force of gravity as his chest echoed the sorrow he was feeling. What was he going to do about Naruto? The blonde was going to be stolen away from him, like a precious jewel. If there was no Uzumaki in his life, then Sasuke knew there was no point of living. God had abandoned him, and he was constantly masking himself so as not to be seen as what he really was in his father's presence. This fight wasn't worth the effort if their was nothing to fight for.

Sasuke closed his eyes again, this time not opening them, just focusing on the image of the blonde in his head. It was hard to picture the golden teen smiling nowadays, harder because the face always crumbled into tears and nearly made him cry in response. The raven rolled onto his side, gazing at his bedroom door. Everything was quiet, so deathly quiet and Sasuke wished for a moment he was dead. God couldn't possibly torment him with these restrictions if he was dead, could he? The Uchiha pushed the thought away, focusing back on Naruto's departure. He had little time left, but he couldn't just let the blonde go without ever having the contact he so craved and needed. The sinful always need the forbidden to know where they truly belong in such a twisted world. Sasuke closed his eyes, opening them again for he didn't know how many times that night, before an idea struck him. There was only one possible thing to do before Naruto left, before the blonde was ripped away from him. Sasuke sighed gently, feeling somewhat at rest finally. He knew what he was going to do, and he was going to do it tomorrow. His parents were heading out of town that night for a conference, and Itachi had left the day before on a trip with one of his friends, Kisame. _'My golden angel...Naruto, I might just be the one to save you from this separation...'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke knew that Naruto had gym at third period, and the blonde always bought a bottle of lemonade from the school's vending machines before heading off to the class. Skipping out on Math class with Mr. Asuma Sarutobi, the raven hurried to the boys gym change room. Shouts, whistles and squeaking sneakers notified him that gym class had already started. Checking to see that noone was around, the dark-haired male snuck into the change room, locking the door behind him. The horrendous smell of a combination of sweat and AXE **(1)**met his nose, making him wrinkle it in disgust. Trying his best not to gag, he hurried about the room, finding Naruto's locker. Smirking, the Uchiha quickly undid the combination lock, swinging open the putrid olive-green locker. The blonde's things had been hastily thrown in, all tangled up in each other. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the sight, knowing it was just like the fox teen to be so messy. The pale teen grabbed the water bottle out of the crumpled pile, smirking in triumph. Naruto had already opened the bottle, that was good. It would make things easier for him.

Sasuke unscrewed the cap, placing it down on the room's bench as he sifted through his bag with one hand. A moment later he pulled out three packs of Neocitron, ripping the packets open and pouring the contents into the lemonade. Neocitron was really good medicine and had a delicious taste very similar to lemonade, but it made the drinker very drowsy. And that was with only one packet.

Tossing the garbage into his bag, Sasuke screwed the cap back onto the bottle, shaking the drink up to get the Neocitron mixed up completely. A sound outside the change room alerted the raven, and he quickly shoved the bottle back into the locker, slamming the lock back onto the metal door. Sasuke tip-toed to the room's door, freezing as he heard a key be placed into the lock. A row of lockers stood near the door, and the raven quickly dove behind them as the lock turned and the door opened. Listening, a breathless teen stumbled into the room, rushing to the back of the room. "Dammit, dammit...where is it?!" Sasuke sneered at the hopeless fool, slipping out of the change room unseen and hurrying away from the scene of the crime. Now that he had finished that, he only had to wait til after school to initiate the second phase of his plan.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke rubbed at his eye lightly, holding in the yawn that threatened to rise. He'd gotten little sleep last night, mostly because of his pondering about Naruto but also due to his little science experiment around 5:00 o'clock that morning. Turning his attention back to the field, the raven watched as Naruto dodged another male, sprinting across the field with a ball held firmly in his arms. A coach blew his whistle and the entire group gathered around, Naruto jogging over to join them. Some of the boys slapped the blonde on his back as he came over, making the golden teen grin. Sasuke felt himself tense. He admitted he was feeling a little jealous, but he wasn't going through all this planning and worrying for something whimsical. No, he was doing all this because he loved the blonde with all his being and the other male was barely giving him a glance; even more now that Naruto was going to be leaving. Sasuke clenched his teeth, but fought down the anger that welled in him, bringing the binoculars up to his eyes again. Uzumaki had stayed after school for a Rugby try-out that the school's sports club was holding. Pointless it seemed, but the raven figured that the blonde probably wanted to try some things before leaving.

Still, Naruto's decision to hang out at school a little bit longer did work in the Uchiha's favor. It would be easier now to get the blue-eyed male alone. What seemed an eternity later, but was really only half an hour, the blonde exited the school and began his walk home. Sasuke followed the blonde, keeping his distance from the other male. When they came up to a stop sign, Sasuke reached into his bag pulling out a container and unscrewing the top. Inside the thing was a damp rag, soaked in home-made chloroform. It was a little crude in its creation, a fairly stable chemical reaction of bleach and acetone, but the raven was confident it would work well for the purpose he needed. Quickly, the Uchiha caught up to the walking Naruto, keeping out of sight as he slowly drew forward. Again, the blonde stopped at another intersection, and Sasuke smirked as he saw that the street was empty. The fox-like teen yawned, closing his eyes in the process as was per usual, giving the raven the chance he was waiting for. Silently, the dark-haired teenager came up behind the other male; grabbing onto the blonde's torso and clamping the rag over the whiskered teen's mouth and nose.

The blonde jolted against his grip, but Sasuke held on tightly, pinning the male to his body. His pale hand kept the chloroformed clothe in place, counting in his head to keep track of how long Uzumaki was breathing in the fumes, all the while the golden-haired male fought sluggishly against him. After a count of ten, the blonde went slack in his arms, and Sasuke removed the clothe, certain in the blonde's unconsciousness. Tossing the rag into a bush, since he no longer needed it, the raven proceeded to hoist his beloved onto his back. He grunted with the extra weight but did not complain in the least. Naruto wasn't exactly heavy but he wasn't light either; he was of a moderate mass for a teen of his age and height. Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't mind. It only further reminded him that he and the blonde weren't so different, and the pressure on his back was making him feel strange inside. Like his organs were being shifted around, but in a curiously nice way. The trip back to his house seemed shorter than normal, but the raven paid little notice to that detail as he opened his front door and continued on inside.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He remembered being tired, amazingly tired ever since gym class. It took all his energy to stay awake throughout the day, so it was no surprise he felt dead at this moment. His body was leaden and his eyelids refused to open, he was practically paralyzed in a sleep-like state. Groaning, he tried to move his body but all he could get was a twitch of his finger. His sluggish mind worked its way through the events that had taken place after gym: his afternoon classes, the rugby try-out... Blue eyes snapped open, hazy with sleep, as their owner struggled to sit up. Naruto's shaky arms could barely get him to sit up before he collapsed again, falling back against crisp sheets and a soft pillow. He blinked stupidly at his surroundings, realizing his naked state before terror surged through him, and he struggled twice as hard to get up. His body refused to move much further though, and finally he stopped squirming around. Naruto swallowed hard, closing his eyes against the tears. Everything that was happening to him...it was unfair! It was unjust! How much suffering would he have to go through before life had enough of this sick game?! The blonde opened his mouth, taking a large gulp of air.

He should of been more careful, but things had been better these past few years. He'd let his guard down in favor of things that made him feel not so alone, not so afraid. Now, because of his lack of attention he'd been kidnaped and taken to some stranger's house. _'Iruka...he'll never forgive himself if I die...' _The image of his guardian's broken figure, brought him to tears but renewed his will. Again, the blonde struggled against his weighted body, trying to get up. A sound came from outside the room, then the bedroom door opened. To Naruto's surprise, it was Sasuke who entered the room, shutting the door behind himself. The raven noticed that his adored was awake, and moved to the bedside. The shocked teen attempted to move away from the other male, but couldn't get far and ended up having his cheek cupped by the pale teen's hand. "It's good to see you awake...I was beginning to worry." Naruto scoffed at the Uchiha's words, not believing the raven at all. It was one thing to want him, it was another to actually kidnap someone. And more so now, he wanted nothing to do with the dark-haired teen.

Sasuke took note of the blonde's silence, knowing it was partially due to the Neocitron and chloroform still circulating through his system. But the smoldering look in the blue orbs was making him feel cold inside, and he felt a small rage begin to snake its way up in him. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against the tanned forehead, hearing the frightened gasp the fox-boy emitted. "I won't hurt you...I never could...," as he whispered these words, the blonde beneath him again slipped unconscious. Sasuke stayed where he was, stroking the soft cheek, sometimes brushing the golden spikes. The sky outside his window was getting darker, and he knew his time was slipping away. The raven stepped away from the bed, stripping off his clothes. The cold of the room chilled him, making goose bumps rise on his skin. He made his way to the sleeping blonde, leaning over the other male. Naruto...he was beyond beautiful. His skin was a gentle golden tan, unmarred and soft to the touch; his limbs were shapely with lean muscle hidden from view. Sasuke felt his groin react at the image before him, but more so his heart was pounding at the close proximity between him and his blonde.

The Uchiha lowered himself down onto the warm body below him, shifting so he was laid comfortably atop the fox-like teen, before capturing the soft pink lips. The Uzumaki instinctively reacted to the kiss, his mouth opening slightly, granting access to the raven. Tenderly, the dark-haired male touched the blonde, caressing the tanned body. He didn't want to cause any harm to the golden teen, for it would only hurt him in return. His pale fingers continued to stroke the bronze skin, tracing patterns into the boy's hips, while he kissed along the blonde's pulse. This slow pace was beginning to make him warm though, and there was already a small trail of sweat at the nape of his neck. A small mewl from Naruto made his cock twitch and the raven knew he couldn't keep this up any longer. He raised his head, and captured the other's lips again, effectively waking the blonde. His angel opened weary eyes, and took in the Uchiha's form held over his own, and weakly tried to push the taller male away. Still though, his muscles were weak and he couldn't do anything. He closed his eyes, moaning as the raven ground against him, hating himself inside that his body was even reacting to the treatment he was being shown.

Sasuke, lost in the throws of lust, was unaware of Naruto's inner conflicts and continued on with his ministrations, soaking in every moan and groan he drew from his desired's lips. His hunger was growing and he needed, wanted more. Reaching out, his pale fingers gripped onto a bottle of hand cream standing on his night table. Carefully he squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers, slipping them gently inside of a panting blonde. He fingered around inside the golden-haired male, stretching him as painlessly as he could, while kissing him. Naruto's body jerked against his fingers suddenly, and Sasuke smirked in triumph in finding the blonde's spot. Slowly he removed his fingers, and proceeded to cover his erection. He positioned himself, and inched his way into the fox teen's entrance, stroking the other's penis to ease some of the pain. Once he was fully sheathed, he waited, not wanting to cause Naruto more pain. That's when the raven became mindful to his beloved, and looking up he noticed that the cerulean eyes were hazed and drowning in tears, sobs coming from his mouth. "S-stop...sta...stop...ple-eeease...n-no mmmore..."

Sasuke felt his heart drop into his stomach, slowly melting away. "I-i... I d-didn't want to...," The Uchiha cut himself off as another choked sob rose from the blonde's crumpled form, before the teen slipped once more into sleep. Ashamed of himself, the dark-haired male pulled out from the shorter teen's body, moving to the other side of the bed. Tears were still pouring from behind the other's closed eyes, and it cut him up inside. Naruto...what had he done? He wanted to be close to his angel, to bask in the other's light and warmth and what had he done instead? He'd stolen him away and had successfully strangled the light within the blonde. Hopelessness swallowed him up and Sasuke found himself crying too. He'd become something even more filthier. In his attempts to not lose his only hope, he'd become no better than the mindless sex-drones that tore at the souls of young women on dark street nights. Wiping at his eyes, Sasuke looked over at the passed out blonde. He got to his feet and picked up the tan teen, cradling the other to his chest lovingly. Without thought or word, the raven stepped into his bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Naruto came to again at the feel of something wet lapping against his sides. He opened his eyes, trying to keep them focused and trying to quell the humongous headache he had. He let out a sigh when he felt something soft brush against his skin, moving his eyes to the side to view whatever had touched him. He was shocked when he saw it was Sasuke and felt his heart pound in fear once more, but he was much too tired to do anything. He stayed relaxed and unmoving, watching as the raven picked up a sudsy face cloth and rubbed the thing against his forearm. _'W-why is he...?' _The blonde watched confused as Sasuke continued to wash him, seemingly unaware that his victim was even conscious. The Uchiha's eyes seemed somewhat red Naruto noticed as he continued to study his kidnaper. The fox male let his eyes slip shut but did not fall asleep again. He remained silent, listening to the water as Sasuke bathed him, relishing in the warm water that was poured over his body to wash away the soap. He was surprised by how gentle the raven was being with him. Eventually the pale hands moved their way southward, and the blonde couldn't help but tense as the clothe made contact with his groin.

He was hit with a pang of sickness, his heart rate doubling as he imagined the dark-haired teen entering into him once again. He didn't want that. He jolted against the raven's touch, a whimper slipping past his lips, but Sasuke's hands only wiped at his penis and entrance before retreating. His blue orbs took in the bathroom as they opened, and he gazed strangely at Sasuke. Was...he shaking? Before he had any more time to analyze it, the raven pulled away and exited from the room. The Uchiha returned again sometime later, clothes in his arms. Naruto stared openly at other teen, not doing anything even when the raven picked him up out of the bathtub and proceeded to dry him off. It seemed Sasuke was off in a whole other world, he didn't even respond to Naruto's alertness. The blonde tried to move his muscles as the dark-haired male dressed him but still he was too weak, and he could only twitch his fingers in unison. Sasuke continued to carry him around as they headed downstairs, where the golden male was dressed in his outside gear. While Naruto sat on the couch awaiting the raven's return, he contemplated what was happening. The Uchiha had kidnaped that much was true...but he was having trouble bringing up his anger. Not to say it wasn't there, it was, but just not as strong or as big as he thought it should have been.

Sasuke came back for him, hoisting him onto his back with a small grunt, before they exited the taller teen's house. The walk made him tired again, and for a while Naruto let his eyes close. He opened them for a moment when Sasuke paused momentarily, and the blonde realized that they were walking down his street. _'That's...a...little...weird...,' _he thought, yawning as he tightened his slack grip around the raven's neck. He slipped easily into unconsciousness, rocking to the Uchiha's steps. Sasuke continued to walk, unknowing of Naruto being awake and falling asleep several times in the past half hour. His thoughts had careened off into darker waters earlier on when Naruto had cried for him to stop, and he came to the awful realization: that he was truly sinful, more so than any damned demon, so much so that he would even hurt the one he had declared as his everything. It was self-denial that had made him unable to see this fact before, but now the truth couldn't be kept away from him. It was no wonder God had turned his back on the raven. Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto, trying to will the blackness away, but the murky blob was overpowering and he hadn't the will to fight it anymore. This, he concluded, would be the last time he dared touch Naruto. The blonde's apartment complex appeared up the street, and the raven hurried his pace. He made his quickly into the building, finding noone else around. He worked back into his mind, remembering the time that he had followed Naruto home, and made his ways upstairs to the blonde's floor. Stopping in front of the door, Sasuke gently lowered the shorter male onto the floor. He reached out to brush away a strand of hair, before pulling his hand away. He didn't have the right anymore.

He couldn't touch the golden teen anymore. Demons had no right to affiliate with angels. The pale teenager stood up and knocked on the door, hurrying to the stairwell and stepping through the door. Turning around, he peeked out and watched as the apartment door was opened and Naruto's guardian stepped out. The man seemed shocked and worried at his charge's state and wasted no time in getting the blonde inside. "Naruto, what happened to you?," Sasuke heard the brunette ask. The blonde answered back, "Sorry, 'Ruka. Rugby try-outs...really tired..." Their door shut, closing off the rest of their conversation. Sasuke turned away and walked down the stairs, and out of the building. In the back of his mind, he was wondering why Naruto hadn't ratted him out, but the question was tucked away without any further consideration.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kiba sat on his bed, phone in his lap, receiver held against his ear. He listened to the ringing echo through the phone line, fingers crossed that someone would pick up. A click on the other line notified him that someone had. "Hello?," came the voice. "O-oh, yea, hi...this is, umm, Kiba...I was wondering if I could talk to Naruto?" The brunette waited patiently for the response, cursing himself for being so nervous. It was his best friend, he shouldn't feel queasy like this. A sigh sounded over the line, before the other person answered. "I'm sorry Kiba, but Naruto's sleeping right now. He was awfully tired when he came home. If you want, I can give him a message." Kiba shook his head, tangling his finger in the phone wire. "Nah, that's ok. I...I guess I'll just talk to him tomorrow. Sorry to bother you," he said, hanging up before the other person could answer back. The dog-lover gazed at the telephone distantly, not really sure what to do. He felt unsure of what was happening. Hinata hadn't been at school today, and noone had picked up at her house. And now Naruto was asleep, but the brunette wasn't even sure if that was true or not. Sighing, Kiba moved the phone off his bed and back onto his night stand. "I don't get it...what's happening to everyone."

The teen rolled over in bed, burying himself beneath his covers. Hinata's absence felt out of place but it was the blonde's that was affecting him more. Naruto was his best friend, but it felt like a great chasm had opened up between them. Had he pushed his one true friend away without even knowing it? Kiba felt his heart fall, and curled up into a ball. Maybe this had been all his fault... A sudden weight jumped onto his bed, moving so that the object was placed in front of him. Kiba peeked out, smiling wearily at his terrier. "Hey boy," the teen said, scratching the dog behind his ears. The dog laid down beside the brunette, whining quietly in the back of his throat despite the treatment. Akamaru leaned forward, pushing his nose up under Kiba's chin. The male smiled softly, kissing the white fur. "I'm going to be ok boy," the brunette said, not believing it entirely himself but hoping that Akamaru would buy it. The dog seemed to accept his words but curled up against his master's side anyways. Kiba sighed, closing his eyes. Companionship was what he needed at this moment.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was dark but the darkness helped magnify the mood she was in. Hands clasped tightly in prayer, her knees sore from kneeling so long on the floor, but she wasn't going to move. Since morning she had been like this, trying to figure out...just to figure things out. What was she trying to accomplish exactly, even she wasn't sure. Her door opened, light entering the blackness in a single beam. "Hinata...dinner's ready. Are you coming?" She didn't answer back, her lips busy mouthing words only she could hear. The intruder stood at the door a moment longer, before he responded. "Don't stay up too late." The door was shut again, and the darkness rushed in once more. The raven opened her eyes and gazed up at her ceiling, still mouthing prayers. Tears pricked at her eyes, a couple making tracks down her pale cheeks. She felt so conflicted. There was this huge storm inside, swirling with such chaotic force that threatened to swallow her up but even the tirade of emotions didn't know which one was stronger. She closed her eyes, her prayer breaking as a sob escaped her.

How was she supposed to feel? There was so many emotions inside that wanted to break out: anger, sorrow, confusion... On and on they went, mixing up into each other until she didn't know which one was what. She felt so betrayed by the man she trusted, the same man she called dad. And her mother...there were so many feelings toward the women who had given her life, and she was afraid to even let those emotions show. Her whole life felt like a shame, and it hurt- it hurt so much! Hinata brought her knees up to her face, curling up into a ball as the tears fell harder. She was so terrified of this mad rush of emotions, but she was more afraid of discovering something else false. "G-God...Father...p-plee-ase... I n-need help...i-I don't wa-wanna...want t-to feel like this...i-I h-hate this feeling..." The raven fell silent, tears still coming from her eyes. In this darkness she felt for the first time a separation from God, and she wondered if she would ever get through it.

And if she did, would she ever be able to trust again?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Neji stood outside his cousin's door, listening as the girl finally broke. He felt a twinge of guilt within himself but he knew that this was for the best. The emotions Hinata was feeling now...they would have only been magnified ten times more if the dark-haired girl had regained her memories when she was older. Now at least, the girl could deal with her sorrow and she would never have to go through this self-doubt years from now; she'd never have to think twenty years into the future her whole life was a lie. The raven leaned against the door, his thoughts focused on his upset cousin. He could only hope that the God Hinata put her trust in would help her overcome this disturbance, would help her become a strong and trusting person. But just in case God couldn't help, Neji needed Kiba. He didn't so much like the tattooed male but he knew that the brunette had a positive effect on his cousin. And more so now, she needed someone she could trust and someone who wouldn't wrong her. The teen moved away from the door, and descended down the stairs. After dinner, he would have to give the Inuzuka a call.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke entered his room, not even bothering with his light switch. He trained blank eyes onto his bed, watching how the light illuminated his place of darkest sin. That bed... he hurt the blonde on that bed. His knees gave out beneath him, and his obsidian eyes remained locked onto the mattress. Staring...he just kept staring, not knowing for how long he sat. Slowly he got to his feet, and strode to his bed. He would have to sleep on this bed tonight, so as to not raise suspicion, though he'd rather not. He'd rather just burn the spot, and let himself bathe in the flames as well. Working methodically, he removed the sheets and tossed them into his laundry hamper. The pillow, it carried the blonde's delicate scent, so it to was thrown into the hamper. The raven retrieved the vacuum, turning the obnoxious machine on, and vacuuming the entire mattress down. When he was done, he put clean sheets on the bed and a clean pillow straight from the linen cupboard. Now he couldn't smell the angel on his bed, but still the images burned into his eyes would not disappear. They were his reminders, his punishment.

The dark-haired teen sat on the edge of his newly made bed, trying to regain a sense of feeling. He'd been feeling hollow since he'd left Naruto on his doorstep. The coal eyes opened- he hadn't realized he had closed them- and took in his room. The sight of his bible, red cover bloody black in the darkness, sparked something within him and his pale fingers grasped the book tightly. A rage boiled up in him, uncontrollable and unyielding. "It's your fault," he whispered at the book. "It's All Your Fault!!" With a cry of rage, the raven threw the book across the room, listening to it smack sharply against the opposite wall. "I HATE YOU!!" The teen spun around, sweeping the objects off his desk, his computer monitor smashing to the floor in a scattering of glass. He continued to scream wordless cries of hate, tossing items around his room, grinning in mad delight when they broke and smashed. Finally, panting for breath, he stopped. He stared at the mess of his room, not caring for the disaster, feeling light with satisfaction. Gingerly he stepped over his books and papers, side-stepping the jarring mouth of his monitor with its sea of teeth-like glass. His bed, bathed in street lamp light, had remained unharmed during the whole ordeal. Fatigue swamped the raven's body, and he lowered himself onto the mattress, falling into sleep instantaneously.

**C.M.D:(1) My gym hallway smells so bad, with the mix of years of sweat and 5 different types of AXE, I can barely breath. And I have to go through it to get to my photography class- ugh!**

**Bet you guys weren't expecting that, huh! Anyways, hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter. I worked real hard on it, trying to portray the emotions as best as possible since there were a lot of things going on. The chloroform thing I actually got off the internet on how to make it, just a simple Google search was all it took. The internet's scary like that.**

**I want 2 thank every1 who reviewed last chapter, but there are so many of you I'm just going to settle with a big: THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU ALL!!**

**And I just want 2 ask that if you're going to review, please don't comment on my personal life, that's not the point of reviews. Anywho, stay tuned for next time and review!!**


	8. Struggling for Words

He rose the next morning, brought up out of a fit, and cast his eyes around the chaos that was his room. His head was swimming, and there was a strange taste in the back of his throat that he couldn't shake as he got to his feet. Pushing black bangs out of his eyes, Sasuke trudged to his bathroom, stopping at the doorway and leaning against the frame. His dizziness had yet to recede, and just behind his lids were the ghosts of images from a dream he could barely recall. But the more the raven focused on the fading vision, the more his chest tightened and he was swamped with this inexplicable feeling. Almost as if he had just lost something. The dark-haired teen pushed the images aside and quelled the emotion that threatened to make him sick, setting himself to his daily tasks. For a time, he skirted around the mess he had made the night before, but as he did up the final button to his outfit, he knew that he couldn't just leave his room in this state.

Moving quickly, but as quietly as he could because his parents had returned last night after his fit, the raven cleaned his room. He picked up the things that weren't broken and placed them in their proper places, throwing out everything that couldn't be salvaged. He gathered his books and papers, rearranging them back into their orderly piles, placing some in his bag and the rest on his shelves or desk. Just as Sasuke was zipping his bag shut, there was a knock on his door. The teen froze, casting a wary eye at the shut door. "Sasuke? Are you awake?" It was his mother, probably come to tell him breakfast was ready. The male looked at the monitor that still laid on his floor on its side, the glass smashed out of it and surrounding the hollow cube. He hadn't yet gotten around to cleaning it up, and he had no way of explaining to his parents how the thing had gotten smashed in the first place. And he wasn't about to retell how he devised a plan to kidnap and have sex with the one he adored. "Sasuke, is it okay if I come in?" His mother was beginning to sound a little worried, and the raven knew that he wouldn't be able to keep his mother out of his room. He would have answered back to her questions, but he normally was quiet in the mornings and today he couldn't even seem to find his voice.

Coming up with a solution, the Uchiha placed his bag on his desk and came up beside his monitor. He bent down, picking the thing up in his arms, careful of the glass. He lifted the equipment up as he stood straight, taking a step back so he was right next to his desk. He quickly assessed the positions of both his bag and the puddle of glass shards, before he tossed the monitor ahead of him. Sasuke quickly spun around and grabbed his bag, just as the monitor fell to the floor for a second time. The thud and smash of glass rang through the subdued noise of the house, and the raven's door slammed open in response. "Sasuke! Are you alright!?" The teen's mother stood in his doorway, a look of panic across her features. She looked at the fallen monitor, then back up at her son who was standing at his desk, a sleepy expression of shock on his face as he gazed down at the piece of technology. "Oh, what happened dear?," she asked, walking around the mess and coming up to the dark-haired male's side.

Sasuke only shook his head and shrugged. "...was only packing my bag...," he mumbled as his mother hugged him. "Don't worry, sweetie. Your father and I will get you another monitor. Just leave the mess for me to clean up," she said. He let the women lead him out of the room, smirking inside. That had been easy, but he didn't feel much up to celebrating his victory. The raven tuned his mother out as the exited his room, not caring for her promises of replacements and comforts. As the reached the staircase, Itachi entered onto the landing. For a moment, the two brothers shared a look, before Sasuke looked away. He descended the steps, ignoring the unknown thing hidden in his brother's black orbs.

* * *

Out of all the things that he expected to happen this morning, Naruto never had anticipated this. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot, hand gripping tightly at the doorknob. In front of him, Kiba stood, fidgeting with the hem of his coat and also displaying the nervousness the blonde felt at that moment. Naruto shifted again, staring at his feet, reliving the morning up until this point. He'd woken up with a mighty fearsome headache and the insistent urge to curl up and die. When he'd try to get back to sleep, Iruka had come in and told him to get up out of bed. "You have school in an hour," his guardian had said. "I don't want you missing any classes, ok?" Naruto had wanted to say, _'no it's not okay' _but he'd gotten up anyways and went about his morning, with Iruka keeping a watchful eye on him. The teen knew that his caretaker was still worried about him after last night and did his best to seem normal, but it was difficult to do so under the brunette's scrutinizing gaze. Did Iruka see it? Did he see the filth that seemed to glue itself to the blonde's being? He'd scarfed down his breakfast, swallowed three ADVIL© pills in the process, then quickly cleaned himself up before putting on his coat and shoes.

Now here he stood, keys still in hand, gazing at the floor beneath his sneakers because he couldn't stand to look at his best friend. His best friend that he hadn't spoken to in about two weeks. "Naruto...are you still here?" Naruto jerked at the sound of his guardian's voice coming from the kitchen. "I'm leaving now Iruka," he yelled back. He moved blue eyes up off the floor and connected with the dog-lover's chocolate orbs. The tattooed male took a step back, allowing the blonde to step out of his apartment and shut the door behind him. "Hey," Kiba mumbled. Naruto continued to hold their gaze. "Hey," he mumbled back. The brunette in front of him said not a word after that, opting to break eye contact instead. The fox-like teen was beginning to get annoyed with the silence. "What do you want, Kiba?," he ground out. The other male had the decency to blush in embarrassment. "I-I wanted to know if... if you'd like to walk to school together."

A small stone settled unpleasantly at the bottom of the blonde's stomach. "No." Kiba was startled by the answer and moved to follow after his departing friend. "W-what?! Come one man...i-I mean, dude! I know I haven't been-" Naruto turned around and faced Kiba, glaring straight into the other's eyes, cutting the brunette off. "That's right. You haven't been around much. And at the moment Kiba I don't particularly feel like being near you, much less being your friend," Naruto spat out, his voice bitter. Kiba seemed shocked, and the life seemed to drain out of his brown orbs. "Later," Naruto said, ignoring the kicked look his friend- his best friend- wore. Kiba let his hands fall to his side, not bothering to chase after the blonde a second time.

* * *

Naruto hurried out of the stairwell and out of the building, mouth thinned into a tiny line. He felt sick to his stomach, aware that he had just hurt Kiba possibly more than anyone else could, but his anger had yet to let up. There was too much happening at this moment. A mad rage was beginning to build up in him and it was directed at everyone. _'Everyone,'_ he noted, _'play a part in my life. It's only fair they take part of the blame in how much things hurt.'_ Still... the blonde paused at the street's intersection. His bitterness melted away and sorrow swamped him. Why couldn't Kiba have come to him when he needed a friend the most? Why wasn't the brown-haired male there before the aftermath of last night's events?

* * *

"Inuzuka." Kiba stopped, turning around to see who had called his name. To his surprise it was Neji, a small frown on the Hyuuga's face. Students stared back at the pair, wondering what the pale-eyed teen could possibly want with an underclassman. Kiba and Neji both noticed this, and their frowns deepened. Neji motioned for the brunette to follow him, and the two males walked away from the school's entrance and around the side of the building. "Yeah?," Kiba began when they finally came to a stop. The raven turned to face the veterinarian's son, the scowl haven't yet to leave his face. "You are friends with the blonde, are you not? Uzumaki?" Kiba was caught off guard by the question, and out of pure instinct nodded. "I will have to ask that you keep your gold friend out of your business with Hinata. It's imperative that noone else know what's going on with my cousin," Neji stated.

Kiba clenched his teeth and glared at the ground between the two of them. "You don't have to worry there... me and blondie are in disagreements of a sort. He won't be having any business with me for awhile," Kiba growled out. After a moment, his curiosity got the better of him. "What is happening to Hinata?" Neji shook his head, lightly flicking non-existent dust off of his left shoulder. "That's not for me to say. Inuzuka, I understand the relationship you and my cousin have, so I am putting her in your trust," the lilac-eyed male glared down the shorter teen. "Should anything happen to her while she is in her fragile state, I will hold you responsible." Kiba gulped, and quickly shook his head at the underlying threat in the Hyuuga's words. Neji tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment, brushing past the brunette as he made his way back to the front of the school.

Hesitating only momentarily, Kiba called out after the raven's retreating form. "Hey, umm... oi! Will Hinata be coming to school today?" The elder teen paused in his stride, turning his head to the side so he could view the dog-lover. "My cousin will be staying home today as she isn't feeling well. Perhaps tomorrow she will come to school." The Inuzuka scratched at his cheek, feeling a little disappointed. "Umm...yeah, alright," he mumbled. "Inuzuka..." Kiba jumped to attention as his name was called once again. "You may come see her after school if you so desire to," Neji said, before turning around once again and walking away. Kiba puzzled over the Hyuuga's offer, a little unsure of why he was suddenly being depended on by the apathetic raven. "Shit!!" The school bell rang, and the brunette was brought up out of his reverie as he dashed for first period class. But he felt just a little better than he had been earlier that morning.

* * *

Sasuke fisted his shirt near his heart, clenching his eyes shut tightly as he fought to catch his breath. He sat bent over on his bed, his legs still tangled in the sheets, same as the moment when he'd just awoken from slumber. His fingers were trembling and sweat beaded across his forehead; his throat was threatening to close around the sobs that were beginning to rise in him. Nightmares, these were nightmares... "They're only nightmares... right?," the raven asked himself. See Sasuke didn't dream, since he was young he'd barely dreamt of the whimsical things that children his age were prone to see as they slept. And as the case he didn't have nightmares either. But last night, and he was certain now the night before, he'd had not one but three different nightmares. And he remembered them vividly. How could he not? In each way and form, they played Naruto in different scenarios of danger and it made him terribly afraid. And sick.

The raven flung himself out of his bed, and rushed to his bathroom, dry-heaving into his toilet. It had only been two days now since he'd kidnaped the blonde and now he was tormented with these nightmares. Or were they visions? God, Sasuke hoped not. But if these false images were his punishment than it was rightfully so. It was perfect justice for what he had planned- for what he had done- to the Uzumaki. The Uchiha turned the faucet on, rinsing out his mouth. He'd only dry-heaved but he could still taste the bile in the back of his throat and he was desperate to get rid of the taste. "God...," Sasuke clenched his fists. He wouldn't let the Lord break him down. He knew he was sinful, but still he feared Hell. Feared it with the same irrational terror when he had been told of the demon domain when he was a small boy, and he could practically feel the flames that forked from Satan's mouth. He didn't want to go to Hell... but could he possibly be redeemed? The dark-haired teen groaned as he heard his alarm begin to sound from the other room. Sasuke stepped from the bathroom and turned his alarm off, running a hand through his inky tresses. Questions like those didn't matter at the moment. For now, he had a life to live and a facade to maintain.

* * *

For as long as he could remember, Sasuke had always dreaded the ending of the school day, because it meant he had to return home. It wasn't so much the location that was the problem (truthfully he probably hated the school just as much as his house), it was really about the people there. While at school he had the blonde teen, at home there was only his overbearing father and brother, and his oblivious mother. Their company never did make him feel at home. So when the final bell rang, he felt himself close up more inside, the emptiness in the pit of his stomach spreading through the raven and wrapping around his kidneys and liver. _'How much more will be swallowed up?,'_ he wondered mindlessly, making his way through the chaotic halls of the school. Sasuke's fangirls fought desperately to gain the teen's attention, but even they could tell there was a sort of darkness filling his coal eyes.

Not paying attention to his surroundings, the raven continued to walk, finally snapping back to reality once he realized that he was no longer being bothered by any of his admirers. Sasuke stopped where he was, and looked about him. He was on a street corner, several blocks south of his school he noted. The tolling of bells shocked him, and he lifted his head up to see a tall spire poking out among the residential buildings. Again conscious thought escaped him, and he strode across the street, turning to the right and pausing in front of a large Cathedral. Gargoyles were mounted on the edges, and angels stood at the bases of the towers. The raven was reminded of the churches in the East, the large cathedrals of concrete in Rome that he'd seen pictures of in magazines. This church had that same look, though it was much smaller in size. Roman churches were vastly large in proportions, but this was only a suburban cathedral.

The raven shook his head as he realized he'd been staring too long, especially at the stone statue of the angel who had a protective arm wrapped around a forlorn looking child. The dark-haired teen spun on his heel, intent on heading home, but he couldn't move. That is to say, he felt rooted to the spot; he just didn't have the heart to leave. Giving a sigh, Sasuke turned back around, and with some trepidation entered the church. It was silent inside, the soft glow of prayer candles lining the front of the altar, mingling in with the streams of rainbow light coming through the high windows. A catholic church... he hadn't been in one since his toddler years. Past the rows of pews, the Uchiha stepped, his eyes fixed on the large circle window depicting Jesus in all His glory, high above the altar. Instinctively, Sasuke hung his head. _'Don't look at me.'_

He looked to the left, and in the fuzzy shadows he made out a confession booth. Now that he thought about it, the raven remembered that he hadn't done penance in a long time. Not after his father felt that they no longer needed to speak to priests about their sins. Sasuke wasn't even aware he was moving until he had slipped into the wood booth, shutting the door behind him. He sat in the near darkness, listening to the rhythm of his breathing, until the door on the on the little window connecting his booth to the next opened up. He reacted by trying to melt into the back of his seat, taking in the sounds of the other person shifting about in their own booth. "What is your confession child?," the priest spoke. The soft, slightly grainy words calmed the raven's high-strung nerves and the teen stopped trying to disappear into the wood's interior.

The priest was patiently quiet, as the black-haired male struggled to find his voice. "I...I have sinned, father...," the Uchiha finally managed to squeeze out. He took a couple shaky breaths, fighting down the despair he felt, sweaty palms gripping at his pants. "I-i have committed great crimes, irrevocable crimes..." Sasuke cut himself there, not sure if he could finish. "Tell me, son," the priest whispered soothingly. "Tell me." The teen thought he heard a sound, like a baby whimpering, but wasn't sure if the noise was real... or if it was he who had made it. "F-father... I have turned away from God. I-I... I've steeped myself deep in sin, I have legioned myself with Lucifer himself." "Now, now," the priest interrupted, sighing. "What acts would make someone say such things?" Sasuke fell silent again. How was he supposed to say the things that he'd done?

"I...I have become an abomination before God's eyes, and yet I was unwilling to turn away from my desires because... because of _him_. Father, I wanted_ him_. _He_..._he_ was everything, _he_ still is, but...b-but I only damned my soul further by taking _him_. G-god...," Sasuke felt bile rise in his own throat. He was disgusted with himself. "H-he's _beautiful_... so beautiful, a-and _warm_... I wanted him so much, father. S-so I took him...I took him ag-against his own will..." The raven swallowed back his own self-pity. There was no point in such a narcistic emotion...that's why he was repenting. Repenting his desires. "F-father... what shall I do?" The question echoed in the sudden silence, and Sasuke felt afraid. "Come with me, son," the priest said after a moment, and light suddenly fell through the little box window.

His nerves tense once again, the raven too exited the booth, and stood tall as he faced the priest he had just confessed to. The priest, dressed in traditional black robes, was old; bald on the top of his head, a small bunch of white hairs jutting out of his chin. The teen was expecting an appalled expression and angry eyes, but none of that showed in the other male's expression. No, the face was frowning with what seemed disappointment, and the eyes brimmed with something possibly akin to sorrow. "Come," the priest said again, and the Uchiha followed the old man as he walked toward the altar. The priest lighted a candle, and pointed that Sasuke do the same. Clasping his hands in prayer, the raven bowed his head but he knew not what to ask for. "Let us pray for forgiveness of ignorance, of unjustifiable hostility, cruel misconceptions..."

Sasuke's head shot up as the priest began his prayer, turning disbelieving eyes to the old man. What did that have anything to do with his sins? "Father...i-I don't understand..." The priest broke off, and turned to look at the teen. "Son...tell me, who taught you the Scripture?" The raven's pale hands tightened around themselves, but he answered nonetheless. "My father taught me all I know." The priest seemed to sigh, though the man made not a sound. "I see," the priest replied, turning back to the rows of candles. "Then this prayer is right." The dark-haired male's confusion grew, and so did his despair. Angrily, he blew out the candle he had lighted and stormed out of the Cathedral. Behind him, standing still at the altar, the priest watched as the younger man ran off. Sarutobi turned back to the candles, watching as the smoke from the raven's candle rose around the other dancing flames. It signified the prayer that would never be asked, and could never be answered. Bowing his head, the old man began to pray again. "Let us pray for forgiveness of ignorance, of unjustifiable hostility, and cruel misconceptions. Let us pray for healing of twisted minds, lost hearts and broken hopes..."

* * *

It had been three days since she's remembered... remembered her mother and was lost at what to do. The bible said forgive, but she didn't know if she could do that. The betrayal hurt, Hinata noted, but it hurt more because her whole family took part. Her mother who hurt her, and her cousin and dad who lied and kept it from her. In the beginning, the emotions were too numerous to distinguish. On the second day she was angry, numb and unbelievably upset. The third day, after hours of praying, her rage left and she felt only sad. But at least Hinata's mind was clearer, and she finally believed that she could do it, move on.

Stepping across the road, the dark-haired girl shyly walked up to a house's front door, ringing the doorbell after a minute. She could hear the little jingle ring inside the house, and felt herself smile when barks accompanied the sound. The door opened, and Hinata was met with Kiba's sister. "Oh, hey Hinata," Hana greeted, moving aside to let the lilac-eyed girl entrance. "Kiba's upstairs in his room." The raven nodded in understanding, and made her way to the staircase, Akamaru at her heels. Quietly, the Hyuuga ascended the stairs, coming up to the youngest Inuzuka's bedroom door. Knocking gently, the girl entered. Kiba, sitting on his bed, turned at the sound and nearly fell out of bed.

"H-hinata!? W-what are you doing here?," the boy shouted, righting himself up. The raven giggled, helping the blushing brunette to his feet. She sat on the edge of his bed, while he sat across from her at his desk, her small hands smoothing at her skirt. "I... I wanted to apologize for not being at school for the past few days," Hinata began. She felt really nervous, but she desperately wanted to apologize to the Inuzuka. "Th-there were some...things... that happened. I needed to be alone." The dark-haired girl looked up, and caught the dog-lover's brown eyes. Kiba, in turn, smiled at her. "You don't need to say sorry," the male said to her. "Everybody needs some time alone... we've all got things we need to sort out. You don't have to tell me what it is now, but I know one day you'll be ready. And I'll be there to listen, ok?"

Heat rushed to Hinata's cheeks, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Kiba's kind words... they made her feel very warm, almost like when she read her Lord's word. Tears pricking her eyes, the raven got to her feet and pulled the brunette into a hug. "Oh thank you, Kiba. Thank you." The other teen patted her back awkwardly, but he didn't push her away. Finally releasing the brown-haired male, Hinata stepped back and looked at him in embarrassed confusion. "W-well... what shall w-we do now?," she stuttered slightly. Kiba scratched the back of his head, the blush still on his tattooed cheeks. "Umm...w-well... i-I've fallen a little bit behind on my r-reading...?" Hinata couldn't help but smile at how the brunette voiced his thoughts as a question, before nodding her head. "Yes. Let's do that." The dog-lover smiled in return and reached for his Bible.

* * *

When he read in books about how people were raped and weren't able to tell, he always had trouble imagining how that could be. To him, he believed that people should speak up against the injustice done upon them, fight back at the people who had hurt them so. But now that it had been him who was raped, he understood their silence. When he was younger, Naruto had gone through many things but he'd never been forced into the position that Sasuke put him in. At least, he'd had many close calls. But the thing is with close calls, you're able to move on after a while and even tell others, like how he told Iruka. This...this wasn't the same. It had finally happened to him, and it was hard to believe, never mind moving on.

What the blonde couldn't get was how weak he'd gotten. He'd promised himself that since he was with Iruka, he was going to become stronger and protect himself. He wasn't some little kid anymore that needed to always depend on others._ 'So why couldn't I stop this from happening!!' _Naruto rolled over in bed, and buried his head into his pillow, trying to suffocate himself. Maybe that would make the pain and humiliation seem less. The blonde was tired of this...of this crap! He just wanted a normal life, without any interruptions from the System and hormonal perverts. Swallowing the sobs that tried to slip out, Naruto curled up further into himself. He felt so dirty, like there was grit right under his skin that he couldn't get rid of, no matter how he washed. Like a stain on a white sheet for everyone to see, that's what it felt like.

He felt so disgusting, and he was sure that's what everyone else thought it too. They could probably see his nasty stain, and he wondered then why anyone didn't mention it. The tears in his eyes were starting to ebb now, and the blonde felt exhaustion flood through him. Before he slipped to sleep, the fox-like teen could have sworn he saw black eyes focused on him, and he thought distantly how it seemed there were always eyes on him now.

**C.M.D: sooo...this chapter took me forever, huh? Well I did some research, most of which I'll use later on, from several different sources; three major ones being books.**

_**-Raising boys **_**(Christian guidebook- it actually has a section on how to make sure you're son doesn't become gay! How stupid!)**

_**-What God has joined together: the Christian case for gay marriage**_** (though it focuses mostly on marriage, it does have a lot of information on anti-gay organizations, bible scriptures and all sorts of other things)**

_**-Querying Religion **_**(this has a LOT of stuff. I'm still not really done reading it)**

**I had half of the chapter written a while ago, but the part of Sasuke in the confession booth was taking sooooo long. I finally got past my writer's block to write it, but I'm not so sure I like it. I think I wanted to put some more stuff but... oh well. I plan to draw some sketches of the school, the houses, and the church mentioned so far. I guess I'll get them done for the next chapter (which I hope won't take me as long this time) and post them on my deviantart account, which by the way, the link for is in my profile. Alright, review and I'll talk to you guys next time! **


	9. Sinners and Saints

You know that feeling you get when it's the first day of the school year? You have no idea who your teachers will be, if you'll be with your friends, and you've decided to wear a new outfit for the new semester. But you start panicking a little because the style of your clothes is different than normal, and it feels like thousands of eyes are on you, constantly assessing you. You know that feeling? Well, that's what it felt like for Naruto. It was like the first day of school paranoia for the past few days, with a twist of course because he felt really dirty and was constantly itching to scratch or rub away at the filth that just seemed to coat his skin. He'd felt like this everyday for a week, starting right after his rape.

'_I-it's just your imagination...'_ he told himself. _'N-noone can possibly see what's been done..' _Naruto didn't even believe his own words, but it might possibly have been because he'd been saying the same thing for an entire week. Dragging his feet, the blonde continued to wind through the school hallways, heading to his first period class. If it wasn't for Iruka's constant pestering, he knew he wouldn't even be coming to school. He'd come to hate this place with an irrational vehemency recently. With his eyes focused on his feet, he wasn't paying attention to wear he was walking and ended up knocking shoulders with another kid in the hall.

Uzumaki spun on his heel at the contact, his bag dropping to the floor. Quietly he looked up at the other person, about to apologize, when the words died in his throat. It was black eyes of the one and only Uchiha that glanced at him, before the raven walked off, not even looking back once. Naruto, fear seizing his entire being, grabbed his bag and this time ran the last bit of distant to his class, entering the room and quickly taking his seat.

Sitting in his place, he was able to calm down, and he thought back to the hallway run-in._ 'W-wait...! He d-didn't do any-anything!!'_ The blonde felt confused and shocked at this revelation, and he realized that it was like that for a week. Sasuke hadn't approached him after the night of his rape, avoiding him like the plague. Naruto shifted in his seat, pulling out his textbook just as the bell rang.

The raven's decision to stay away from him eased the ache that the golden-headed teen was experiencing, but he couldn't help but admit it was strange. Was the Uchiha feeling guilty? Or did the black-haired teen not want anything to do with him anymore now that he'd had his way with the Uzumaki? Naruto bit the inside of his cheek, feeling anger rush through him, the feel of a thousand eyes on him fading from his mind. His rage now had an outlet, and his sorrow couldn't possibly stand in its way.

If Sasuke thought he was better than him now, because he was the one to break the blonde, than the raven was sorely mistaken. Naruto had a lot in mind for the Uchiha.

* * *

If people thought that Sasuke was acting strange, they never would have guessed that it was because of Naruto. Their unseeing eyes never noticed how he avoided the blonde teen, ignoring his blue-eyed classmate as if he were invisible or turning and walking in the opposite direction of the shorter male. The raven's fellow students would never have guessed that behind black eyes, he was seeing the Uzumaki broken in different ways.

At first, they were just nightmares. And though they frightened him to his very core, Sasuke was glad that he only saw them at night. But that was two days ago... things had changed now. Now the visions chased after him even during the day. He would be listening to the teacher one moment, eyes focused on his notebook as his hand wrote down the lesson, when everything would disappear. The classroom noise would fade away, and the bright sunny day would dissolve into a dark night. Then he'd find himself in a room, black liquid pouring toward his feet.

He never tried to, actually fought the motion with all he had, but still his head would look up and his obsidian orbs would widen in terror. Gold spikes matted with the same black liquid- blood, he always noted- blue eyes dulled to a grey, wide open and staring at him in horror. And there, standing prominent against white skin, would be a hole through the porcelain forehead. Naruto's wrists would be tied, the arms angled oddly as if someone had ripped them from their sockets. The Uzumaki's whole body was drenched in blood, lying on his side in the black puddle, more of it soaking the rag that was tied over the blonde's mouth.

Sasuke would begin to tremble uncontrollably at the image, and his own gut would twist painfully. And just as a scream began to rise in his throat, chased after firmly by bile, the daydream would disappear. He'd be back in the classroom, fingers clenching the desk tightly, breath coming out in little wheezes. Nobody would have noticed the changes that had occurred, except for the person sitting next to him -usually it was Shino or Shikamaru.

Neither of them said anything, though they looked on from the corner of their eyes, mildly concerned about the Uchiha. So, the raven guessed that it shouldn't have been surprising when during science the dream returned.

He wasn't really paying attention and didn't notice when it came, his thoughts too preoccupied with the blonde that he had run into that morning. He couldn't believe that he had been so absent-minded to actually allow himself to brush against the blue-eyed male, and his guilt was eating away at him. Like a phantom, the nightmare descended upon him, and the world around him melted away into the darkness. His coal eyes re-focused back onto his surroundings, and he was shocked to find himself standing in his living room.

Where was he? Was this the nightmare? The Uchiha was confused, and tried to think why the vision would change but couldn't concentrate because of the buzzing that filled his ears. _'Why is there buzzing?'_ Without meaning to, and Sasuke guessed it was the dream once again controlling his movements, the raven looked up at the ceiling. His black orbs were fixed onto the gray plaster, and the teen wondered what he was supposed to be looking for.

Finally, his head turned back down, and the raven began to walk toward the staircase. _'What's going on here?,'_ Sasuke thought, nervously glancing up into the darkness of the second landing. No answer came to his question, and dark-haired male slowly stepped up stairs. With each step, the raven felt the terror within him grow.

What was up there? What would he find? The unknown unsettled the Uchiha, and the teen's grip on the staircase banister tightened until his knuckles were white. Sasuke placed his foot on the landing and gazed down the dark hallway. At that moment, the buzzing stopped and the silence engulfed him. The raven felt a stirring in his stomach, anxiety eating at him, his throat clenching painfully. What was going to happen now...?

Sasuke tried to open his mouth, to say something... anything! But he couldn't get his jaw unstuck, and so the eery quiet continued to surround him. The black-headed teen swallowed sharply, and as if it was a signal, a gunshot went off.

The bang was so loud in the absence of sound that raven jumped, falling back against the wall as his heart began to race. The pale male's body broke out into a series of trembles, watching with wide eyes as black blood seeped out from under the last door at the end of the hall. The dark liquid made a trail toward him, and Sasuke let go a choking sob as he worked to get away from the dark stream.

The black blood stopped moving, and the raven paused, staring at the little rivers. Suddenly, the blood reared up like a cobra and lunged at him. Sasuke cried out as black serpent attacked him, shrouding the whole world in darkness.

"Sasuke!!"

Shaking, the dark-haired youth opened his eyes, light filling his vision. Above him was Shikamaru, the brown-haired teen gazing down at the Uchiha with worry in his eyes.

"Breathe, Sasuke! Deep breaths!!"

Only when the brunette commanded him too, did the raven realize that he wasn't breathing, his chest constricting with the need for air. Gasping, Sasuke opened his mouth and greedily swallowed, over and over. He shot up, so that he was sitting on the floor now, taking deep breaths as instructed.

He clenched his eyes shut, only for a second, before opening them again and taking a look at his surroundings. His legs were tangled up in his chair, which now was lying on its side, explaining the ache in his backside. Black orbs glanced around the classroom, noting that the whole class was looking at him strangely. Their faces expressed their worry and their confusion. Just what had he done exactly?

"Sir... I'm going to take Uchiha to the nurse's office, ok?"

Shikamaru's voice drew Sasuke's attention, and he cast his eyes to the side, looking at the brunette. The lazy genius returned his look, placing a hand on the pale teen's shoulder.

"Come on, you. Let's get you out of here," the other muttered.

The raven slightly nodded his head, gingerly getting to his feet, and gathering his things. Shikamaru still kept his hand on the dark-haired male's shoulder, and took Sasuke's things from the other's trembling arms. The pony-tailed youth steered them out of the classroom, heading down the hall.

After walking past a few doors, the procrastinator removed his hand from the Uchiha's shoulders, slipping the free appendage into his pocket. "What happened?," Shikamaru suddenly questioned.

Sasuke cast his eyes to the brunette for a second, before turning them back to the floor. He remained silent, not wishing to relive the vision he'd just experienced. Shikamaru, taking his silence to be stubborn pride, sighed. "If you don't want to tell me, than say so. Keeping quiet won't do you any good."

The raven grit his teeth, making a displeased sound low in his throat but didn't respond.

"I would probably chalk it up to nerves, or maybe stress," the brunette began to say. "But for as long as I've known you, you've never been stressed out. You just don't let average teenage problems get to you."

Was there a point to the Nara's lecture, Sasuke wondered.

"Thing is Uchiha- noone has panic attacks as bad as you just had. Not unless you've got an extreme case of phobia or perhaps even schizophrenia. Neither of which I know you have, that I can be certain of."

Shikamaru's prattling was beginning to get on Sasuke's nerves, but he listened still, and found himself concerned. Just what had taken place in the classroom?

The genius opened his mouth to continue, once again taking note of how the Uchiha remained silent, when the raven spoke up. "Panic attack?," came the simple question.

The Nara sighed and came to a stop, watching as the dark-haired teen also did the same. "What happened in the classroom would be classified as a panic attack. You zoned out and were trapped in another place, a nightmare perhaps of your own fabrication. With your mind lost in that world, you were unresponsive to the outside. Your breathing became shallow, as usual when you're being terrified beyond normal circumstances, and your pupils became dilated. I've noticed that those symptoms have been more common for you lately, but today things were different."

The brunette paused right there, and studied the down-turned head of the Uchiha. When Shikamaru failed to continue, Sasuke turned his head up and glared at the other male. "What else?," he demanded, more than asked.

Shikamaru leaned back against a row of lockers, keeping his gaze locked with the raven's. "You began muttering things," he started again. "I couldn't make them out, but it sounded like you were confused. You continued muttering for a few more minutes. You're tone was low enough that noone else noticed, and then you stopped muttering. You were silent for a good five seconds before you shot back in your chair, knocking it and yourself over. That's what got the class's attention. Or course, it didn't help when you wouldn't get up and began to shake like a wet dog in the middle of a January storm."

Sasuke had the decency to blush, turning his head back down to further investigate the space between his shoes.

"Sasuke... what did you see?"

The raven clenched his fist tightly, shaking his head at the question. He wouldn't answer... he couldn't.

Shikamaru gazed at the pale male, and found himself feeling almost sorry for the Uchiha. Something must have happened recently to make the once prideful, smart raven become so afraid and distracted. Naruto had experienced some changes in the past week as well... The brunette knew that both of their transformations were connected somehow, he wasn't a genius for nothing.

Pushing himself off the lockers, Shikamaru stepped to Sasuke's side, pushing the raven's things into the surprised teen's arms. The Nara pushed the Uchiha toward a door off to the side, and Sasuke noticed that it was the door to the Nurse's office.

"You'll probably never tell me," breathed the voice behind him. "But don't be so prideful that you'd let your panic attacks account for nothing. Sometimes, dreams or visions are ways for us to right mistakes that we've made. Don't forget what you've seen 'til you've evaluated what they could possibly stand for."

The door opened, and Sasuke was pushed into the office, followed closely by Shikamaru. The brunette was met by Ms.Shizune, but their words couldn't filter through the raven's thoughts. He kept repeating Nara's last words over and over again in his head.

"Sasuke...Sasuke?" The raven snapped back to reality, casting a blank look at the dark-haired nurse. "Come on. I'd like you to lie down for a bit, okay?"

The Uchiha nodded his consent, and let himself be led to a bed on the far side of the room. He laid down on top of the pristine white sheets, locking obsidian orbs on the grey stucco ceiling. Shizune walked around his bed for a bit, a clipboard in hand before she was called back to her desk by the phone ringing.

"Hello?" Shizune's voice drifted down to the raven's bed, and Sasuke caught himself listening into the conversation out of sheer boredom. Anything was better than assessing his nightmare, as Shikamaru had suggested.

"Oh, good afternoon Iruka."

Iruka? Wasn't that the name of Naruto's guardian?

"No... I'm sorry to say I haven't seen him. Not since lunch."

Sasuke's eyes zipped to the clock. It had been almost an hour since lunch ended. _'Where's Naruto?'_

"Hang on, I'll check the office. See if they have any information to offer," Shizune said. There was silence as Shizune placed the blonde's caretaker on hold, ringing the office. In that silence, Sasuke's vision was brought back full force.

Shizune was talking again in the background, but again he couldn't discern her words. He was at that moment, walking through the darkness of his living room again, coal orbs fixed on the ceiling. Why did he keep looking at the ceiling?

"Iruka... I don't want you to panic or anything but... Naruto's not here. We think he might of left school property at the beginning of lunch... No, no. He wouldn't be doing something reckless. He probably just needs a bit of break. It's normal for kids to skip classes... I'm sure he'll be home after school..."

Sasuke was finding it hard to breathe again. _'Naruto's missing?!' _Despite Shizune's assurances to Iruka, the raven knew that Naruto wouldn't be coming home tonight. Soon, the blonde would be dead.

The Uchiha rolled off the bed, and bolted out of the room, his stuff left behind on the bed. The dark-haired nurse called after him as he dashed past her, but he continued to run, not daring to stop. Sasuke wasn't one to trust gut feelings. In fact he'd barely even have moments of so called intuition, choosing to stick to cold, hard facts than whimsical feelings.

But now... he knew that today's nightmare wasn't just some creation of his imagination. It was a message; and it was telling him Naruto was in danger. The blonde's disappearance wasn't some coincidence, and if he didn't hurry, it'd be too late. His gut told him so.

* * *

His feet pounded pavement as he pushed himself harder, faster. Ignoring the burning in his chest, as he broke past his limit. Anything to move faster. Dodging past cars, ignoring streetlights and signs as he hurried to his house. As he ran, the raven failed to notice the storm clouds that smothered the blue sky, until it was a bleak grey all around. Sasuke gulped past the knot that had formed in his throat, shoving his hand into his pocket as he dashed up his front door steps.

His keys shook in his hand as he fumbled to get them into the lock, twisting them sharply once he got them in and grabbing the knob. He yanked the door open and stepped inside quickly, his vision obscured momentarily by a flash of lightning. Waiting for the dots in his eyes to clear, the raven shut the door behind him, and blindly stumbled to his living room.

Blinking, Sasuke stared into the gloom, realization hitting him. _'The same...' _The brewing storm outside shrouded the room in darkness, just like it had appeared in his dream. Nervously, his black eyes rose up to the ceiling, staring at it intently._ 'What now?'_ It was silent, and the Uchiha began to feel somewhat foolish. Then the ceiling above him thumped, jolting him. Sasuke bit his lip to keep from crying out at the sound, his heart once again racing. His nightmare... had come to life!

The raven made cautious, fearful steps to the staircase, unconsciously re-enacting every move he had made in the vision. His fingers gripped the banister tightly, as he gazed down the dark hallway, afraid to take the last step onto the landing. But the quiet unnerved him and his thoughts kept straying back to the blonde teen he was looking for. _'Naruto...'_

The Uchiha removed his ridged fingers from the banister and took the last step onto the second-level floor, breath hitching as he gazed down the hall to the last door- his _brother's _bedroom door. Sasuke stood there, eyes wide with horror, just waiting for the gunshot to sound. A second passed, and even though he tried not to, he swallowed. The dark-haired teen flinched, gritting his teeth tightly, waiting for the terrible noise. But the shot never came.

A second passed, another swallow, then another second. Still- nothing. Slowly, Sasuke eased his eyes open and gazed worriedly before him. Where was the blood? The gunshot? Mind racing, the male warily stepped forward. _'T-then maybe... it's not too late...?' _Step, after step, the young Uchiha shuffled toward the door. Finally pale fingers wrapped around the cold knob, and Sasuke had the fleeting thought of how firmly the appendages were able to grip it. The pounding was back in his head again, the sound of his rampant heart beating notes against his skull.

His palms were sweaty, and the incessant urge to vomit had returned. What would he find when he opened this door? Would it be Naruto... like the blonde was in his last nightmare?_ 'Dammit!!'_ Sasuke cursed himself and his nerves, gripping the doorknob tighter. The Uzumaki might still be alive, and standing here terrified was only risking the blonde's life more. Taking a deep breath, the black-haired male turned the knob and eased the door open. Outside, lightning flashed again, filling the room with its white brilliance for a few seconds.

Sasuke squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shapes in the darkness. His coal orbs fixed on a squirming shape, and as his eyes adjusted he could make out that the object had yellow hair. The raven felt his heart leap into his throat. "N-naruto...?" The blonde looked back at him through the black room, arms tied back at the wrists to a bed's headboard, a rag wrapped around the Uzumaki's mouth.

The Uchiha began to move closer to the tied-up male, when Naruto's head began to shake violently, eyes wide. He stopped walking toward the golden-haired teen, curling into himself slightly. The raven scolded himself for his reaction. _'Of course he wouldn't want me to touch_ _him.' _Obsidian eyes stared at the blonde sorrowfully, their owner taking a step back to leave the room.

The touch of cold steel against the back of his head halted him from moving any further. The fear was back again, encouraged this time as the gun was cocked, the tiny click resounding loudly in the room.

* * *

The dark-haired female stared out into the raging storm, unable to see more than her own streaky reflection, hands clasping together in worry. All around her, students were milling about the classroom, talking to each other to keep from boredom. The weather had changed so drastically last period, that the school had kept all the students inside even after the last bell rang, to keep the kids from getting hurt in the storm._ 'But...'_ ...something didn't sit right with Hinata.

"Hyuuga! Someone's at the door for you!" The raven turned away from her station at the window, nodding to the student that had called her, heading to the classroom door. She was surprised to see that it was Kiba standing there. The brunette caught her eye, and waved as she approached.

"Kiba," Hinata greeted. "What are you doing here? We're not supposed to be out of our classrooms, you know?"

The dog-lover smiled wryly, scratching the side of his cheek. "Yeah, well... It was really boring in class, and I figured you could have used some company."

The raven chuckled in response, before falling quiet. The two teens stood in the doorway, gazing into the classroom, not knowing what to say. Light lilac eyes once again wondered to the room windows, gazing out into the clashing rain and lightning. The weird feeling returned to the Hyuuga's gut, and her lips pulled down into a frown. Kiba noticed the female's worried expression, and placed his hand on her shoulder in question.

"Hinata?," he asked.

The black-headed girl turned to him, staring down the empty school halls. "Come with me, please?," she replied, already stepping out of the classroom.

Kiba followed after her, pulling up to her side. "I thought we weren't allowed to leave the class," the brunette lightly teased. Hinata tried to smile, but she couldn't draw up the usual merriment she got from the Inuzuka's jokes. The dog-lover noticed, and fell silent again, unsure of what to say.

The two teens made their way around the school, unhindered by any staff. Kiba looked expectantly at the raven as they came to a stop at the Chapel's doors, the raven leading him into the dark room. The pair walked up to the alter, the Hyuuga female dropping to her knees and clasping her hands together.

"Kiba...," she said suddenly. "I need you to pray with me. Please. I feel as if something isn't right... like someone's in danger."

The Inuzuka said nothing, but got to his knees as well, copying Hinata's clasped palms. The raven smiled appreciatively at the male, turning back front and bowing her head. Softly, she began to whisper her prayer, fingers tightening as the storm thundered outside.

* * *

"I was wondering if you'd come running home... little brother."

Sasuke turned his head slightly, gazing at the darker version of his brother. The older sibling blinked as their two black orbs came into contact, the pressure on the gun releasing just a little. "I-itachi...?! What is the meaning of this?!," Sasuke hissed, fear making him keep his voice low.

The older male merely shrugged at his Sasuke's question, using his free hand to shut the door. Sasuke watched tensely, before daring to take a step forward, removing the gun from its place at his head. Itachi didn't react, just pulled the gun to his chest, gazing at the firearm almost as if he was studying it.

"Sasuke... your faith has become weak," his brother stated, slowly wiping his sleeve along the gun's length. "It's surprising that father hasn't even noticed the filth you've covered yourself in."

Sasuke cringed at Itachi's cold words, knowing them to be true. "W-what does this have to do with Naruto?," he meekly asked. Itachi couldn't possibly know of his attraction to the blonde... could he?

The older raven's eyes looked up at the younger Uchiha, the black orbs void. Sasuke shivered at them. "I've known for a while now, little brother, what this boy means to you. And I am appalled." How did Itachi find out?! Sasuke's thoughts were cut off as his brother went on. "Sin is corrupting your life, little brother. You've been delving yourself in acts of the devil, without even a hint of remorse. Do you not care for your damned soul?" Sasuke couldn't even think up words to use to his brother's question, and instead bowed his head in shame. Itachi sighed, walking past the younger male's rigid form, stopping before his bed.

"But I do, Sasuke. I care much for your soul, little brother, and do not wish to let Lucifer sink his claws into you. For this reason, do I do these things." Sasuke looked over at his brother, confusion drawn across his features. What things did Itachi mean? Naruto's kidnaping? "It says in the Scripture," the older sibling continued. "That we must cut ourselves off from our human flesh and its sinful desires. That we must put out the object of those desires to rid ourselves of the temptation..."

Sasuke felt his fear double, finally understanding what his brother was getting at. "S-so...," he stuttered. "Y-you want me to...k-kill Naruto!? Is that why he's here?!"

Itachi turned around to face the younger raven, eyebrow cocked in question. "Is that a problem, little brother? Do you not desire redemption?" Sasuke didn't know how to respond to his brother's question, glancing over at the terrified blonde, before shaking his head. The older Uchiha made a noise in the back of his throat, turning his head to look at the gagged Uzumaki.

"There's no need to fret, Sasuke. I, too, have slain the demon that would dare to seduce me away from our Lord. Shisui wasn't aware that he'd become a puppet to Satan's machinations, the poor fool. Perhaps, God will have given him a little forgiveness during his judgement..." Sasuke peaked at his brother's words. Shisui... Shisui was a distant cousin of theirs. _'What did you do, Itachi?!'_

Itachi's head turned back round to his brother, the older raven holding the gun out to his younger sibling. "Come... enough chatter. It's time to redeem yourself, little brother. Soon, you will no longer be plagued by this temptation and no more shall you stray from the path of God because of this... _creature_." The way Itachi hissed the word 'creature', as if Naruto was some foul beast, made Sasuke angry.

Forgetting his fear, Sasuke swatted his brother's outstretched hand away. "Forget it! You're fucking insane! I'm not going to fucking kill Naruto, just because you got it worked out in that fucking cracked shit pot of a brain, that I need to murder another human being for fucking redemption!!"

Itachi's expressionless face morphed into a disapproving frown, black eyes looking condescendingly down on his brother. "I should have known that the sinner would never give up his ways," the older Uchiha spat. Itachi turned his head back to Naruto, eyes burning with hatred, raising the gun and pointing it at the blonde.

"Itachi! Stop!," Sasuke cried, panic highlighting his tone. "Don't shoot him! Please, God, don't kill him!!"

Itachi chuckled darkly, not turning his head away from the violently thrashing Uzumaki. "Why, Sasuke? Don't tell me you _love_ this boy," the older sibling sneered. Itachi's laughter slowly died away. "You don't even know love, little brother. You only know a demon's lust."

Sasuke choked at the cruel tone, looking fearfully between his brother and Naruto. Black eyes locked back on Itachi, rage filling the younger raven's entire being. It was a one second decision that had Sasuke throwing himself at his brother's larger form, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Nooooo!!"

A bang followed, chasing the tails of the yell.

**C.M.D: I probably am giving a bunch of people heart attacks right now, hehehe... Anyways, sorry this took so long. You know exams, they're so time consuming... But hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long... though there's the whole summer school thing...-sigh-  
****Umm, so... if you're looking for a good read that involves religion and homosexuality might I suggest reading **_**'The God Box' **_**by Alex Sanchez. I, myself, haven't read it (its this whole author code of mine, not to read books that are similar to what I'm writing. I don't like plagiarism) but I have heard it's a good book. So if you're getting tired of my slow updates, go read this book to preoccupy yourselves with until my next update.  
****Hmm... alright, that's all for this time. Review, as always, please!!**


	10. The root of Justice

Blue and red lights flashed in the darkness, like pulses in the night as they highlighted the front of the house. Stumbling out the front door, that's all his eyes could see through the drizzle. The hand on his shoulder was firm but caring, its owner steering him down the front steps, holding him up when he nearly tipped forward several times. His heart had yet to stop hammering in his chest, a drumline working up beats in the back of his skull. What was going on? His discorded thoughts struggled to form proper strains, but were unable to, and continued to wiggle like maggots -jostled and confused- in his mind.

The lights became a little brighter, as he was led toward their source, the hand removing itself to be replaced with a blanket. "It's okay, son. Everything's going to be okay, now." The teen only nodded in response, unsure of what they were saying but not truly caring. "Naruto!"

"Sir, wait, you can't come past-"

"Oh my god, Naruto!" He was wrapped up into a pair of warm arms, a huffing face pressed into his hair. "Oh, god. Naruto, naruto... I was so worried. Naruto..." The blonde remained unresponsive to the man hugging him, even when he was released and another hand was placed on his shoulder, leading him away from the brunette.

For a moment, Iruka watched the teen be led away. "W-what's happened to him? W-what...," Iruka turned to the officer standing beside him, confusion written across his features. The officer hesitated for a moment, before protocol kicked in, and she pulled the man to one of the parked police cruisers. "First, I must ask what your name is and your connection to the boy," she said. Iruka nodded, his head turned away from her as he tried to locate Naruto. "U-umm... M-my name's Iruka Umino, N-naruto's guardian. Wh-what... ah... w-ha..." the brunette trailed off, running his hands through his hair. The man's bafflement, worry and fear reflected in his wide eyes.

The officer quickly wrote down the information that he had given her, placing the notepad back into her car. She took hold of Iruka's elbow, leading the man to the ambulance where the blonde teen sat. "Everything's fine, Mr. Umino. Nothing serious has happened, Naruto's just being treated for shock," she assured.

Iruka peeled his eyes away from the zombified Uzumaki, turning the chocolate orbs to the cop. "W-what happened?," he asked. The officer looked the man straight in the face, releasing a small sigh. She hated dealing with distraught people, parents and guardians especially. Nabbing guys who were wanted for distribution of illegal narcotics or firearms were more her thing. Less emotional baggage came with them.

"There was a situation," she began, keeping eye contact with the brunette. Always keep eye contact, it was polite and kept people from wandering in their thoughts. "It seems that Itachi Uchiha, wanted for the murder of another male, kidnaped Naruto and was holding him hostage. His younger brother seems to be involved somehow, though we're not sure as of yet whether he was an accessory, hostage or just stumbled onto the scene by accident."

Iruka put a hand to his face, taking a step back and nearly stumbling. The woman grabbed him before he could fall, urging him to take a seat on the curb. Shock was clear as day in the brown orbs. "There's nothing to worry about, sir. Naruto's fine, just... shocked. There's going to be a trial held within the next few days. We'd like if he could testify," she added. The brown-haired man looked at her, brow furrowed, before turning his gaze back to the floor.

"A-a trial?"

"Yes. We'll notify you with the details."

The brunette was opened his mouth to respond, but clicked it shut instead as a figure approached them. "N-naruto...," he said quietly, staring worriedly at the blonde. The golden-haired teen was pale as paper, blue eyes at half-mast, dull and glassy. Tan hands gripped the blanket draped over his shoulders, the knuckles corpse white.

"Iruka...," came the whispered reply. "I'm tired. C-can we go home?" Iruka nearly sobbed at the small voice his charge spoke in, a voice he hadn't heard since when he'd first taken Naruto in. Despairing eyes turned around to the officer. "Can we?," the brunette questioned.

The officer nodded her head, the rain droplets shaking off of her hat with the motion. "We'll notify you with the details of the trial, Mr. Umino," she repeated. "But for now... go home and rest. You both need it." Iruka nodded, getting to his feet and walking to the blonde teen. He placed a comforting arm around Naruto's shoulders, leading him out of the jumble of parked cruisers, and through the crowd that had gathered, to his own car. Reporters buzzed about the scene, most just arriving now, instantly zooming in on the pair.

Iruka glared at them, pushing a more daring reporter away and growling out that his son wouldn't be talking to anybody at all; and that they could shove their comments up their asses. They were wise enough to back off and return once more to the house, unable to get far beyond the police barriers. Naruto got into the backseat of their car, laying down across the expanse of the seat. The brunette watched, lost at what to do or say, before getting in behind the wheel. He started the vehicle and turned away from the scene, driving silently down the rain-slicked street.

"Nar-ruto...i-I..."

"It's okay, Iruka," mumbled the blonde teen. "I-I'm just... tired." Iruka swallowed, fighting back the sting in his eyes. He could accept that his charge didn't want to talk about it, or be apologized to, but... he wasn't sure if _he_ could accept it. The brunette's grip tightened on the steering wheel as he drove them back to the safety of their home.

* * *

He couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he hadn't tried, he'd tried for a couple hours now, but it just wouldn't come to him. His mind had finally started reconnecting the scattered thoughts, now that his shock was wearing off. Iruka was still awake in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in trembling hands -cold by now- just as he had been after arriving home. Naruto sighed, laying on his back and stared up at his ceiling. Its greyness disturbed him, his mind slipping away to earlier. To when he'd been tied up in that room...

* * *

His scream echoed through the mouth-rag, his ears ringing from the gun's release. There was a thunk against the wall, an inch beside his head, eyes snapping open in surprise. _'H-he... he_ _missed!,'_the blonde realized. Naruto turned wide eyes on the two Uchihas in front of him, both males struggling for the handgun. Sasuke was pressed up close to his brother's body, one arm pinning down his brother's arm, the other trying to reach for the gun. Both of their pale faces were fixed in looks of determination and rage. Seeing his chance, Naruto fought against his bindings. If he could only...

"Ngh!" The blonde's attention was brought back to the two struggling siblings, just in time to see Sasuke hit the floor. Itachi grimaced down at the younger raven, watching sternly as his brother coughed in pain. "You're a fool. I try to help you gain redemption, so that your soul may be purged from this sin, but you refuse my help. You refuse your Lord and his forgiveness!," Itachi spat, black eyes narrowed in outrage. "Such a waste of my efforts. Why I care for a demon such as yourself, I'll never know."

Naruto pulled harder on his tied wrists, feeling a spark of hope when the clothe loosened. Itachi straightened out his rumpled clothing, turning around to face the blonde. "And you...," he growled. "I shall praise our Father in Heaven once I have sent you back to the bowels of Hell where you belong, demon trash." The golden-haired youth gulped, feeling tears burn at his eyes as once again the gun was pointed at him. This wasn't fair! He didn't even do anything!!

Naruto's cerulean orbs shifted to the side, staring disbelieving as Sasuke slowly got back to his feet. There was a dark look in the obsidian eyes, focused on the older Uchiha. The younger raven wasted no time charging at Itachi, catching the man unaware, sending them both crashing into the bedroom wall. The gun fell from the eldest sibling's hand, dropping to the floor, shooting off another bullet. Naruto yelled into his gag, pulling his feet up to his chest. _'I-I can't take this any_ _longer!!'_

Sasuke pulled away from his brother a bit, swinging his fist back and connecting with the other pale man's cheek. Itachi's head snapped to the side, a hiss of pain escaping through his clenched teeth. In retaliation, the older Uchiha kneed his brother in the gut, pushing the younger raven away. Itachi strode toward the fallen gun, picking it up, rubbing a hand across his sore cheek. "Enough!," he growled, moving back over to his brother's side. Sasuke looked up at Itachi, anger draining from the younger raven's body to be replaced by fear.

"I won't stand for anymore interruptions," Itachi said, hand grabbing at his brother's throat. "This is for your own good, Sasuke. You'll thank me later." Sasuke's head made a sick crack as the older Uchiha brought the hilt of the gun to the younger raven's skull, knocking the teen out on impact. Frowning, Itachi dropped his brother's unconscious form onto the floor. Just as he was turning around, for the third time aiming to take the shot, the door was flung open.

"Put your hands up!! In the air, in the air!" Police officers flooded into the room, guns raised and pointed at the oldest raven. Grimacing, Itachi placed the gun onto the floor, placing his hands up and behind his head. Two officers slammed him, face-first, into the wall, before cuffing him. His slitted eyes glared at the blonde as he was pulled out of the room, a twisted grin gracing the pale features. "Your time will come soon, scum," were Itachi's last words. There was more shouting, officers leaving and entering the room. A woman officer untied him, and pulled him out of the room, after the older Uchiha. Stepping through the doorway, Naruto glanced behind him, spotting Sasuke still laying on the floor, unconscious.

The blonde turned his eyes back front, feet dragging as he neared the staircase. It was so hard to believe, that he was actually alive. Not dead- alive. _'I-i'm alive... really a-alive...'_ A tear slid down his cheek in response.

* * *

Naruto curled into himself, pulling his blanket closer to himself. Tonight had only left his muddled mind in confusion. He could have died, but he didn't. He was alive... thanks to Sasuke. But... it was Sasuke who'd gotten him into the mess in the first place. So, who was he to blame? Sasuke, who saved him? Or Sasuke, who raped him? The teen groaned, placing a hand to his throbbing temple. It hurt to think at the moment, his head hurting the most where Sasuke's psycho brother had knocked him earlier in the day. _'I should have never went out for lunch,'_the blonde grumbled to himself. But who could have guessed that he would have a run-in with the cynical Itachi who wanted him dead, just after he'd decided that Sasuke deserved some misery of his own?

Sighing, Naruto rolled over onto his other side, staring at his door. Slowly, his eyelids slid closed. It was time he went to sleep, anyways.

* * *

Sasuke wrung his hands together, his nerves stretched taut. The room was a buzz of activity, silent murmuring coming from the crowds behind him and the row of people seated at the benches lining the right wall. Obsidian eyes glanced to his side, where his parents sat, straight-backed in their row. His mother's face was drawn in a look of confused sorrow, his father's face... was empty of any emotion. What did his father feel at this very moment? His black orbs glanced to his other side, to the opposite row where Naruto sat with his guardian. The blonde's face was turned toward the floor, eyes staring at his sneakers. The golden-haired teen seemed just as confused and lost as Sasuke felt.

The sound of a door opening up in front grabbed his attention, the bailiff calling out the traditional "All rise, for his honor" in his deep, nasally voice before giving out the call for them to re-take their seats. Sasuke was glad when they had to be seated again. His legs had been shaking so bad in those few moments that he was afraid he would just collapse. Swallowing back the wave of sickness that swamped him, the raven focused on his brother who sat in front of them, back turned to their family. Beside the older sibling sat the best lawyer that Fugaku could afford, a man in his late fifties who wore prescription thick-rimmed glasses and talked in a slow, drawling manner that made you feel slightly inferior. A typical lawyer who had won about as many cases as he had lost.

Sasuke wondered if his father actually believed that they could win this case, when it was obvious that his brother didn't have a chance with the evidence gathered against him. They shouldn't have even have gone to court, but because of Itachi's confusing parables, not saying whether he pleaded guilty or not, this is where the Uchiha family ended up. The young raven's eyes constantly found their way to his wrist watch throughout the trial, only half-listening to the rambles of the court, prosecutor and defense attorney. The evidence was showed to the judge and the jury, before they broke for a twenty minute lunch. The witnesses were to take the stand after they re-assembled.

First, it was Sasuke himself. Being directly related to the defendant, the prosecutor's lawyer wanted to question him first. The other lawyer's interrogations made him uncomfortable, but so did this whole thing. This trial, Itachi's attempt at murdering Naruto... this was too much to handle. The whole world had flipped on him. _'As if my life wasn't already fucked up to begin with,'_Sasuke thought to himself as he re-took his seat by his silent parents.

It was almost painful to watch Naruto get up next to take his turn in the booth, questions being fired at the blonde as if he was a target at the firing range. The tanned face was unbelievably pale, and the raven was sure it wasn't just a trick of the light. Whatever discomfort Sasuke had faced, being up in that stand, condemning his brother with the very words he spoke... the dark-haired teen doubted that it could compare with the discomfort that Naruto felt. This trial meant much more to the golden-headed male. Because he was the one who was kidnapped, he was the one who was being shot at, he was the one who was being buried under hateful words of his unstable brother.

_'It can't possibly compare.'_

If Sasuke thought that to be truth, then Naruto backed up that opinion. There was a whirlpool in his belly, and he didn't know if he wanted to throw up or scream and cry. The prosecutor, the one trying to convict Itachi, was gentle on him. The younger lawyer was taking into account the mental sensitivity of the witness and the fact that the blonde was still under-age. But the Uchiha's laywer... he didn't seem to give a damn. The way he ran his mouth, hardly seeming to ask questions, it was obvious that he wanted him to just give in and say that nothing happened.

In the few minutes he was sitting on that wooden bench, Naruto came to hate that man as much as he hated the agency that was working to destroy his life. He never thought that he could hate anyone else as much. By the time he got back to his seat, he was trying hard to fight back the tears. Maybe it was immature and a therapist might argue that it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but Naruto didn't want to relive that night anymore. It was over, and he was through with it. He hated the Uchiha family, especially their two sons. _'I can't wait 'til this whole thing is over!,'_he hissed to himself. This week so far was making the Agency's plan to move him look better and better by the second.

Half and hour later, keeping time with Iruka's watch, the jury exited the room and returned with their verdict. As many assumed, the older Uchiha sibling was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for bail and an added mental evaluation. In total, Itachi was sentenced with pre-emptive murder, attempted murder, illegal possession and use of a firearm and kidnaping. It would be a long time before he was ever a free man. Naruto watched nervously as Sasuke's father rose to his feet and stormed out of the court room, his weeping wife and son trailing behind him. Cerulean orbs locked onto Itachi as he was led away by a couple cops, before the elder raven disappeared from sight. A warm hand on his shoulder led him out of the row, the teen looking back and smiling warmly at his guardian. Iruka smiled in return, his hand gently squeezing Naruto's shoulder in a small show of affection.

"It's alright, it's over now. Let's go home," Iruka said.

* * *

"And what was that?! I didn't pay you to get my son sent off to prison!" Sasuke watched as his father turned on the lawyer that he had hired, roaring at the poor man that had bent into himself at the sight of the Uchiha's fury. The raven felt a tiny ounce of pity for the old coot. Fugaku grabbed the lawyer's blazer, pulling the man closer to his own face.

"Understand this: my son has been sent to jail under false pretences, I don't care what the evidence says, and you did nothing to prevent his! I hope you don't expect to get any money out of me," his father hissed, baring his teeth at the lawyer. The man tried to protest but his voice quickly died in his throat as his University degree finally wised him to the consequences of opposing a furious Uchiha.

Satisfied with the laywer's trembling nod of agreement, Fugaku released his hold on the man, watching as the old guy scrambled out of the room and out the door. Silence engulfed the whole household, Sasuke stayed seated on the loveseat, eyes glued to his father's form that had yet to move. His mother quietly strode into the room, a tray of tea and cookies in her hands, placing herself on the edge of the couch and the tray onto the coffee table. Fugaku finally moved, and took a seat beside his wife, ignoring her.

Their clock ticked away the seconds, and the silence dragged on. Sasuke rubbed his thumb and index fingers together, lost in a train of thought. The small clatter of his mother picking up a teacup pulled him out of the recesses of his mind, and the raven got to his own feet. The feeling of an impending argument hurried his steps out of the room, and up stairs to his room. With his hand gripping his doorknob, obsidian orbs glanced to the right, staring unconsciously at his brother's closed bedroom door.

_'No longer,'_came Sasuke's thought as he entered his room. Downstairs, there came a crash.

* * *

Naruto zipped up the suitcase, taking a look around his room before grabbing the suitcase and exiting it. At the front door already a dufflebag packed full with a few of his clothes. He put the suitcase -which contained things of most valuable to him- beside the other one, striding into the living room. Iruka sat on the couch, holding a cup of coffee that he seemed to be cradling more than drinking. The blonde stood in the entry way, unsure of what to say.

What was there to say, though? Kurenai was coming today to take him to another foster family... and he couldn't refuse. Sighing softly, the Uzumaki sat down beside his guardian. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Iruka whipped his head around, staring at Naruto incredulously. "What do you have to be sorry for, Naruto?," he asked. "You did nothing wrong. What's happening right now is just life. Even if it destroys the most kindest people... even if we hate it," the brunette mumbled at the end.

Naruto clenched his fists in despair, not turning to look at Iruka. "I know," he responded, inching closer to his guardian. Iruka noticed and lifted an arm to give the blonde a comforting hug when there sounded a knock at the door. Both jumped at the sound, rising to their feet simultaneously. The brunette reached forward first, opening the door to reveal the dark-haired caseworker.

"I'm here to pick up Naruto," she said.

"I know," Iruka replied. Kurenai made to step past him, but he blocked her entry, shocking both Kurenai and Naruto. "But that doesn't mean I'm letting you," he finished.

Kurenai opened her mouth to respond, when Iruka pulled a bundle of stapled papers out of his pocket, handing it to the shocked woman. "Here's my appeal for Naruto's custody. He'll stay with me until then. See you in court." And then the brunette shut the door on her, locking it. Naruto stood behind Iruka, staring unbelieving at his guardian until the brunette turned around, facing the blonde.

"Y-you...," Naruto struggled to say, before throwig himself at the older male and pulling him into a hug. Iruka hugged the teen just as tightly, tears burning in his eyes as the blonde sobbed into his chest.

"I-i won't let them t-take you away. I-i ca-can't...," he choked out. Naruto's response was not to let go.

**C.M.D: admittedly this chapter isn't as well-written as I'd like it to be, nor is it entirely complete. I meant to add another part to this but decided to save it for the next chapter, and had planned to spend more time writing this but it's already been practically a whole month since I last updated and I had really wanted to get this done in two weeks; not four.  
So... most of my time was spent doing research. Alot of which hasn't been implemented since I was going to write a detailed court scene but again... I got impatient and I know people were too for the next chapter to be finished and posted. The next chapter, seriously, will be only two weeks of waiting. I swear it!  
Please review! I need some comforting about this horrid chapter...**


	11. Personal Deviancy

**Updated in: Two weeks. This is my fastest update ever!!**

His breath misted in the air, as he pulled his jacket tighter to his body against the chilly wind. Grumbling, Kiba tugged his toque down lower, so that the fuzzy material of his hat was just above his eyes. "Damn, it's starting to get cold," he moaned, stuffing his bare hands under his armpits.

"It is November, Kiba. It's about time that the weather got colder," Hinata remarked, slipping her fingers into her black leather gloves. She smiled warmly at the brunette, and the dog-lover momentarily forgot about the cold.

"She's right you know. But then again, you were never the brightest crayon in the box," piped a voice. The couple turned around, to see a blonde teen standing a few feet behind them.

"Naruto...," Kiba muttered. The raven looked away from the blue-eyed male, to Kiba, then back to Naruto. Understanding, Hinata turned away from the two boys. "H-hinata?!"

The dark-haired girl paused in her stride, looking back at the other two teenagers. "Don't worry, Kiba. I'll head on to school by myself. You stay, and I'll see you later." She directed her smile at the dog-lover, her pale eyes soft. The brunette stared at her, but she only shook her head, and continued to walk ahead. Her hand clutched at her chest as she approached the school. _'There are things that I can not interfere with. This... they must work through the problem that faces them...alone.'_

Frowning, Kiba stood facing Naruto, brown eyes narrowed. "What do you want now? Came to just insult me, or are you going to snap at me again?"

Naruto's eyes fell to the floor, before lifting up and returning the dog-lover's gaze. "That's not why I'm here...," the blonde said. His tone was calm, and quiet. _'I've got to correct this. I want my friend back.' _Now that everything was over with Sasuke and his brother, Naruto knew it was time to take a step forward. Maybe he'd never get over what happened between him and the younger Uchiha, but there were a few people that he needed in his life. Iruka was the first, but Kiba was a definite second. They were the two that helped him change... that made him stop dwelling on his past terrors.

Kiba didn't immediately reply after what the blonde had said, and Naruto was somewhat surprised that the brunette hadn't snapped back to his words. For a time, neither of them said a thing. Kiba stood, still glaring at him, occasionally shifting on his feet. Naruto stayed completely still, despite the chill that was seeping into his bones.

The alarm on his digital watch went off, shocking him out of his silent stupor with its incessant buzzing. Sighing, Naruto turned the thing off. _'This was pointless,' _he thought, as he began to walk forward, stepping around Kiba in the process.

He paused though, when his name was called. "Naruto..." Turning around, he saw Kiba staring back at him, brown eyes no longer glaring at him. "It was on the news...," the brunette began, making a small shrug. "I'm sorry... sorry that you had to go through it. A-and... I think... I might get why you were angry with me before hand. Can you forgive me?"

Naruto felt a stinging in his eyes, and was quick to blink away any tears that formed. His lips quirked into a small smile, as he stepped toward his friend. Kiba stiffened as he slung an arm around the Inuzuka's shoulders. "Kiba," he replied. "You've been my best friend for years, since we were in the seventh grade. How could I not forgive you?"

The dog-lover blinked, then grinned, slinging his own arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Yeah... how could you hate this handsome face?," he retorted. Naruto chuckled, dragging Kiba forward. This warmth in his chest... he missed it alot, missed it as much as he had missed the brunette's company.

"Alright, Johnny Depp, we've got school to go to," he shot back. "Never mind the fact that you don't even have the stubble to pull off his look." Kiba kept in pace, yanking Naruto's head down for a second to grind his knuckles into the golden spikes. "H-hey, Kiba," Naruto wheezed, struggling to get out of his friend's hold. "Y-you know we're late for first period, right?"

"W-what?! Shit!," Kiba cursed, letting go of the smaller male and sprinting to school. Naruto just laughed at the dog-lover's panicked reaction, breaking into a run to catch up with the Inuzuka. It was great to have Kiba as his friend again.

* * *

Tsunade shuffled through the papers, speedily reading through them, still retaining the information that the file held. Finishing the last printed out paper, she slid the sheets back into the beige folder, pushing it to the side and removing her glasses. "Alright," she breathed, rubbing the side of her temple. "I think I get the gist of Uzumaki's history prior to this year. Can his guardian clear me on the boy's activities these last few months?"

Her honey-coloured eyes fell down to the floor of the nearly empty court room, staring expectantly at the three people sitting at the long table. The dark-haired man with the scar across his nose swallowed nervously, before rising out of his chair. His name was Iruka, Tsunade noted. The brunette fiddled with his own set of papers, before he actually decided to look at her again.

"T-these past few months," Iruka began, "Naruto's been quite well. His grades are as great as ever. He works hard, and remains diligent. I've never had any trouble with his behaviour, even now. If there's ever a problem, he sees me immediately and we work through it together." When he had finished, the brown-haired adult cracked a shaky smile and quickly re-took his seat.

Tsunade mentally shook her head at the man's nervousness, but smiled none the less. From Naruto's report, the kid had been nothing but a lost cause. Yet, within weeks of coming into the Umino's care, the boy's attitude had changed. Kind, intelligent, social... all sorts of things that hadn't been mentioned previously in his file suddenly appeared. It was like the Uzumaki child at twelve and at thirteen were two entirely different people. It was obvious to anybody that Iruka had been a positive influence on the younger blonde, especially during his entrance into the infamous teenage years.

Waving her hand for Kurenai, Naruto's case-worker, to stand and speak her own part, Tsunade listened with only half an ear as she let her thoughts wonder. After the black-headed woman sat back down, Tsunade straightened up in her own chair, fingers lightly scratching at her mallet. "Now that all the adults have spoken... it's time to hear from one last person." The busty blonde turned to the teen, smiling kindly at him. "Naruto, it's time for you to speak your mind. What do you want?"

The blue-eyed male seemed to shrink in his seat for a second, before sitting up straight. His eyes burned with determination, his mouth tightened into a thin line. "Ma'am, more than anything I want to live with my foster dad, Iruka. I...i-I really need to stay. Even though... there's been so many things l-lately that make me want t-to run away..."Naruto trailed off, and all three adults zoned in on him. There was hesitation in the Uzumaki's voice, and his slight tone of fear had peaked everyone's interest.

"Naruto...?," Iruka started. Kurenai leaned forward in her seat, folding her hands on the table top. "What things have happened? Tell me now, as your case-worker I need to know all the things that happen to you," she pressed.

Cerulean orbs narrowed at her, Iruka and Tsunade clenching their own fists in irritation. _'With an attitude like that, I'm surprised that_ _woman even_ _landed the job. She's not suited to work with children,'_Tsunade thought, biting her tongue to keep from snapping at the insensitive lady. Clearing her throat, the judge focused on the seething teen. "Naruto...," she said. "Will you please tell us? At least to ease the minds of the people who care for you."

Naruto looked worriedly at his guardian, then at Tsunade, turning his eyes to the floor last. His fear and insecurity surrounded him like a shawl, weighing down his shoulders. The room settled into silence, waiting with baited breath for what the blonde male would say. Clasping his trembling hands together tightly, Naruto opened his mouth. "I-i had been kidnapped, a-and held at gun-point by a der-deranged man. I testif-fied at his trial only a c-couple weeks back... he w-was sentenced to life in prison."

Tsunade watched as Iruka's expression softened at the teen's words, Kurenai's features becoming disinterested. It was almost funny to see how different two people cared about one kid, especially considering one adult was the teen's caseworker and the other his temporary guardian. The judge reached for her mallet, until a voice halted her movement. It seemed Naruto wasn't quite done yet.

"B-before that... i-I was r-raped," the golden-haired youth whispered, hugging himself. Tsunade felt her heart stop in her chest, her left hand clenching into a tight fist. "N-naruto...wh-wha...?" Iruka stared at the teen, confusion and horror etched onto his face. Naruto refused to look up at any of them, arms still wrapped around himself tightly.

"I-i haven't talked to my b-best friend in a l-long time, 'c-cause he's been so bu-busy with a girl. A-and I guess... I-i was so af-afraid a-and... and angry... to b-be leaving I-iruka. I-i st-stopped caring...'bout that g-guy. T-then... ne-next thing I know... h-he's to-touching me...a-and...," Naruto broke himself off, sobs racking his body though he never made a sound. "T-then that m-murderer... i-I th-think maybe he k-knew... 'cause he c-called me a l-lot of things... s-said I-i was dirty...d-demon...but i-I didn't do an-anything...," the boy's voice cracked at the end of his sentence, just as tears brimmed over his eyelids.

Kurenai shot to her feet, scowling at the two men. "I knew it!," she cried. "You, Mr.Umino, are unfit to be this boy's guardian, let alone his adoptive father. Look what you have let happen to him: he's been raped and nearly killed. And it's all your fault!!"

Naruto's head shot up at that, red-rimmed eyes narrowed into angry slits as the glare was fixed onto the raven. "Don't you fucking _dare_ blame Iruka!," the blonde retaliated, standing up and facing the case worker. "Iruka has done so fucking much for me. He's clothed me, fed me, helped me, _loved_ me! All those other homes you put me in... they were hell!! There were so many time when I was abused, nearly raped and killed!"

The teen's fist hit the table top in rage, as he leaned forward over Iruka to the stunned woman. "And you're only problem with this guy -who actually cares whether or not I fucking live to see another day- is that he's fucking gay! Like that really means shit!! Do you know how many heterosexual men in my previous foster families molested me, and at the end of the day still fucked their bitch-ass wives?! Do you?!

Kurenai opened her red lips, but shut her jaw once the hammering of the mallet banged throughout the court room. Tsunade, still seated in her chair, put her mallet back down, having heard quite enough. "Ms. Yuuhi , can I assume that the agency's refusal to let Mr.Umino adopt is based solely on his orientation, and not his qualifications?" The black-haired woman stared the judge square in the eye, palms pressing flat on the table.

"Mr.Umino doesn't reach our expectations-"

"Let me tell you this, Ms. Yuuhi. Your choice to deny this man the right to adopt Mr.Uzumaki is unjustified, and shows clearly you and your employers contempt for homosexuals. That is a hate crime in my opinion, and since we are in a court room, I will have you charged. Do I make myself clear?," Tsunade demanded, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

Kurenai frowned but nodded her head. "Understood, your honor."

"Good," said Tsunade, picking up her mallet and hitting the gavel once. "Then I hereby grant permission to Mr.Umino custody of one Naruto Uzumaki." Kurenai sniffed in disdain, and began collecting her papers while the other two hugged each other in weeping relief. The blonde woman smiled in merriment, putting down her mallet and picking up a pen. She began to sign the papers that would give Iruka custody of Naruto, when the teen himself approached her.

"Yes?," she asked, pausing in her writing.

The blonde male wiped at his still wet eyes, before looking at her again. "I-i thank you so much. So much has happened... and I know I'd never get through it without Iruka," he paused, beaming brightly at her. "All I ask, is that I keep my last name. I don't care if I become Umino-Uzumaki, or Uzumaki-Umino... as long as I'm still a Uzumaki."

Tsunade blinked before chuckling lightly. "As you wish," she replied, finishing the signing. Iruka walked up behind the tanned boy, and she handed him the sheets. "There you go, Mr.Umino. You are now the boy's adopted dad. Take care... both of you."

The two men smiled at her, before turning and leaving the court room. Even after making such a confession, that kid was able to smile as if there was nothing wrong in the world. And it was genuine too. Tsunade smiled softly to herself, getting up and stretching slightly. Her fingers moved up and touched gently at her neck, just brushing the string of the necklace she was wearing. "I'm sure they'll be alright," she mumbled. "After all, they've got each other. And I've never seen a more happier family."

* * *

"Well... this is a little weird."

Kiba looked up from his bible to his best friend, who was looking back with slightly surprised and confused blue orbs. The brunette blushed a bit in embarrassment, closing the book and putting it into his backpack. "S-sorry, dude. Did you want something?," he asked, hesitantly.

Naruto gave him a look, before shaking his head and sighing. "Kiba, if you want to be christian, I don't mind. So there's no need for you to be faking, 'kay?"

The dog-lover's blush deepened as the blonde pointed out his fears. He had just regained the other's friendship, and he didn't want to lose it again so quickly. "You sure, man? 'Cause I can easily burn the thing if necessary."

The Uzumaki grinned at him with a look that clearly said 'You're mental' before yanking Kiba off the bench and to his feet. "Kiba, it's going to take a lot more than your faith to make me stop being your friend. And honestly, if I can't respect your beliefs then what kind of friend am I? Now," he asked. "What are we doing for lunch?"

The brown-haired teenager smiled at his best friend, his chest puffed up in pride and brotherly love from the blonde's candid words. "Well, I was going to meet Hinata in the courtyard. Want to come with?," he offered.

Naruto shifted his bag's strap, thinking for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that's cool. I'd love to see how you two puppies play," he teased, snickering when Kiba blushed looking shocked. "I'm kidding, mutt. It'll be nice to hang out, just as long as noone's trying to shove religious views down my throat. Deal?"

Kiba shook off the blush, before patting the blonde on his shoulder. "Deal, man."

When they reached the courtyard, Hinata was already sitting in her spot, waiting. Her pale eyes looked up when she heard them, smiling she placed her bible to the side and got to her feet. She hugged Naruto, then Kiba. "It's nice to see two friends back on speaking terms," she said, leading them to the bench.

"Hinata, we've been like this for a week already," Kiba noted, his cheeks red.

The raven nodded her head, sitting back on the bench. "True, but it's nice all the same. Friendships should be kept, not broken."

Kiba sighed, plopping down beside the Hyuuga, and pulling out his bible. Naruto plunked himself down on the grass by Kiba's side. "Is Naruto going to join us today for lunch?," Hinata asked. Her smile said that she already knew the answer.

"Yep," Kiba nodded. "It's alright if he doesn't participate, right?"

"Of course," the girl replied. "I would never make him do anything he doesn't want to. Afterall, to each his own, correct?"

Naruto stared at Hinata for a moment after she had spoken, before beaming at her brightly. "You were always a sweet person, Hinata. It's nice to know that even religion can't sway your own personal beliefs," he said.

The raven blushed lightly at the warm words, returning the blonde's smile. "Thank you, Naruto. If you don't mind me asking... have you ever accepted Jesus Christ as your savior? Under any circumstances?"

The Uzumaki lifted his head up to the sky, gazing at the blue canvas. It was nice day for November, the last fleeting bits of summer warmed the wind and the sun was shining brightly. But that wasn't what he was trying to think about... "Yeah," he answered. "A long time ago." A time that was one of his more horrible foster homes, and that he was glad was over.

"As long as you accepted Jesus, I see no reason to hound you," Hinata replied, opening her bible and turning its pages. "Your life is yours to do as you please. But Naruto..." She paused, to look at him. "Don't change, and don't let anything sway your own personal beliefs."

Naruto blinked, before laughing. "I like her. You should totally date her, Kiba!," he said.

The Inuzuka blushed, and so did Hinata, both teens glancing at each other before looking the other way. "W-well," Hinata stuttered. "I-i think we left off at Ma-matthew 15..."

* * *

It was a night like any other...

There was a crash in the living room, and the voices increased a notch. Sasuke sighed, pulling his hands out of the sudsy water and rinsing the utensils off before putting them in the dishrack. It was a night like any other, since his brother's sentence. His mother and father were in the living room, his father yelling and breaking things, while his mother bawled her eyes out and tried to get her husband to calm down.

Wiping his hands off, Sasuke leaned against the counter, listening as his father continued to rant. It had been nearly a month now since Itachi had gone off to jail, couldn't his father just move on already? But of course the man couldn't. itachi was his _perfect_ son. Perfectly insane, if you asked him. The raven pushed off the counter when the noise suddenly dropped, thinking this one-sided fight was over, when Fugaku's angry voice rose once more.

"What are you crying for? Huh? Why are you crying? Is that all you can do?!"

Sasuke leaned back against the counter, a little too quickly because he smacked his forearm on marble top, making him wince. Pulling his sleeve up, he inspected the purplish bruise that wrapped around his arm before quickly covering it back up again. It wasn't the counter-top that had given him that bruise, but it made him angry just thinking about who did. Just because Itachi was gone, didn't mean that Fugaku had to act this way. Did his world really just revolve around his first-born son?

There came a slap in the living room, and another crash, his mother's sobs reaching his ears clearly as the noise began to settle down. _'Why don't you do something, mom...?'_ Why didn't he do something? Was he really that afraid of his father that he too would do nothing against the man's abusive behaviour? Gritting his teeth, Sasuke stepped out of the room. His eyes zoned in on his mother, who was crumpled on the floor, broken glass from a lamp scattered around her. His father loomed over her tiny figure, fists clenched at his sides.

"What are you looking at?," Fugaku hissed, turning around to face his son.

Sasuke stared the man straight in his eyes. "Nothing," he responded.

"You could have tried a little harder," his father growled. The younger raven stiffened, knowing that his old man was going to start again. "Why didn't you defend your brother? That brat was obviously delusional!!"

Sasuke flinched as his father took a step toward him, fists shaking by his hips. Even since the trial, his orientation had yet to come out. Because noone knew that he was gay, noone got why Itachi had kidnapped Naruto. Sasuke hadn't been willing to explain, not when he knew that he'd have to come home with this man before him right now.

Fugaku grabbed his shoulder, pushing him roughly to the side. "Get to fucking bed, and take this bitch with you," he spat, pointing at his wife. "I don't want to see either of your faces, yours especially." Sasuke got to his feet, glancing at his father nervously. It was terrifying in a way to know that the man could be this way without even having to get drunk. "You know," Fugaku chuckled, walking backwards to the kitchen. "I always knew you were jealous of him. Because he was better than you, so you... you got that fucking kid to help you put him away. You fucking pussy, what was wrong about your brother?! You fucking little chicken-shit demon! You couldn't handle how wonderful he was compared to you, how much God loved him compared to you. You fucking Cain!! You're the one to blame!"

Sasuke felt his fists clench in rage, his eyes narrowing at his father. Three weeks, three weeks he had to deal with this! Deal with his mother's crying, his father's stupid hatred, the constant bruises and hateful words. Enough! "Yeah!," Sasuke shouted back, rounding on Fugaku. "Yeah, it's my fault! You know, because I made your son psycho, then he killed his best friend because he was starting to like him in a sexual way!! Then after that, I told him to try and kill the only person I care about, because my homosexuality is such a goddamn sin! Yeah, it's _totally_ my fault!!"

His father stared at him in shock, mouth hanging open before it clicked shut, teeth grinding against each other. In three strides, the man had crossed the room, his fist smacking into his son's jaw. Sasuke hit the ground hard, his elbow catching the edge of the coffee table. Hissing at the pain, he scrambled to his feet and charged at his father, catching the man on the underside of his jaw with his fist.

The punch made contact with a small crunch, Fugaku stumbling backwards a couple steps before he'd regained balance. He cradled his jaw, glaring at the younger raven. "Why you...!" Sasuke barely caught the fist that flew at him, taking the second one to the gut. Wheezing, he grabbed his father's wrist, pressing at the pressure points. The man cried out, ripping his wrist from his son's hold, before punching him across his left cheek.

Sasuke fell to the floor, grabbing his father's foot as it swung toward him, and yanking. Fugaku fell to the floor, and immediately the younger raven jumped on him. There was more screaming as they threw punches at one another, grunting and bursts of pain that covered his whole body in different intervals. The screams were soon accompanied by sobs, as Sasuke was thrown to the floor again that night. Painful cold met his back as he landed, his body instantly shivering against the chill.

He looked up at his father to see the man standing in their doorway, hunched over, panting and glaring. "Go...," he mumbled. Sasuke slowly got to his feet, starting to freeze in the winter night wind. "GO!," Fugaku repeated, stepping forward. The teen wiped the blood off of his upper lip with his sleeve, slowly backing down the steps. "Don't come back, ever," his father snarled. "I never want to see your sinful soul again."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, grinning sardonically at his old man. "Oh, yeah... up yours!," he shouted, flipping the man off. Chuckling, he turned around and strode off into the night, feeling slightly better.

**C.M.D: I said it would only take me a couple weeks at most to update the next chapter, and I wasn't lying either. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I hope this means more people will review this time. _Hint, hint..._  
So... I feel like I did a much better job on this chapter unlike the last one. I especially enjoyed writing Sasuke's part.  
**

**Totally random: one time I took a Naruto quiz about which character you're most like. My result: I was like Orochimaru. So I took it again, second result: Itachi (be4 I knew he wasn't so bad) Getting kind of fed-up, I went and found a different Naruto quiz. My result for that one: Kabuto. After reading that, I was like 'Fuck it' and I walked away from the computer. ...I'm not that evil, am I?  
**

**Umm... let's see, the last thing... Oh yeah, I said I'd draw up some doodles of what some of the buildings look like. They have been posted on my deviantart account. The link is in my profile, so check the pictures out if you feel like it, 'k?  
I guess that's it for now. Thanks for everyone who continues to read this. Review and tell me your thoughts! P.S: I don't have a BETA, but I read this thing over at least four times. If there's still a mistake somewhere... forgive me.**


	12. Up Against the Fence

**C.M.D:Thanks so much guys! We're nearing the end, and already I've got over 16,000 hits, 100plus alerts 'n faves, and so many reviews already. You make me all so happy!! For those that didn't read the note, or if it's been deleted now, I want to tell you all that I'm publishing the original version of this story, under the same title. I don't know how long it will take, but I will get this story published.  
Now, read on!!**

He breathed onto his shaking hands, trying to warm the freezing digits to no avail. The cold wind continued to nip at him, tossing his loose black bangs around. Teeth to preoccupied with chattering to allow him to sigh, Sasuke grabbed at the worn jacket he was wrapped up in, trying to pull it closer to himself. His fingers ached at the gesture, still too cold to even bend properly, wind slipping up into the exposed holes of his coat.

Another burst of chilly air brought tears to his eyes, numbing his face to the temperature of frozen meat. The raven blinked away the water, straining to see his surroundings during the dark of this winter night. Wisps of smoke caught his attention, and he hurried over to where it was coming from. Looking, he saw that the source came from the dingy alley, too dark for him to actually see what was in it, yet still be able to smell it.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Sasuke stumbled into the alley, making his way over to the spot where the smoke was coming from. A grate in the ground was spewing hot air, and he fell to his knees, pressing close to the steel. The little heat sunk right into him, warming up his freezing body. His jaw, not moving for the moment, let him release a sigh of relief as he curled up on the ground.

His tired thoughts swirled about, the balance of cold wind and hot air blowing at him from different sides keeping him from going asleep. For the raven... these time of night was the most tortuous. In the morning though, he'd awake and everything would fine. Then he'd hurry to school before any of the students arrived, and clean himself up in the bathroom.

Even after more than a month, people had yet to notice that he was living on the streets. Did they even care? But that was things to dwell on in the morning, right now he had to-

"**Abomination..."  
**He screwed his eyes shut tightly, trying to block out the voices, but they couldn't be stopped.  
"**Disease... needs to be destroyed..."  
**Sasuke had tried already. The words in his head wouldn't be silenced until he fell unconscious, and even then they would chase him to the very edges of his dreams.  
"**They pollute the world... kill it... stone to death the sinner, the unrepentant..."**

What had he done to deserve this? He'd complied to all his father's demands, lived his life as best as he could to the Scripture. Did all this happen because he'd fallen in love with Naruto, only to hurt the blonde and condemn his brother? Sasuke shook his head quickly, dispelling that last conscious thought. If this was punishment for doing to Naruto what he did, then he'd accept it. But punishment for condemning his brother...?  
**"Chameleons in disguise... with forked tongues and horns... Satan's beloved children..."**

Itachi was crazy! How could God tell them to kill someone? Didn't the Father say that to murder was a sin? He'd accept no pain on his brother's account.  
"**Homosexuals without remorse... marking God's children with Lucifer's seed... seducing other men to lie in their beds..."  
**Sasuke swallowed the whimper that rose in his throat, cold fingers grasping at his head. The voices were growing louder, slowly drowning out his own thoughts. Would nothing stop this rising madness?

"**Let God purge them... exorcise the demons within them... Holy Spirit cleanse..."  
**He didn't want to become like Itachi. He didn't want to lose his mind also! _'Please, God! I don't want to be like him!!'  
_"**If they don't accept... turn away from the path of righteousness... Let God judge them,** **condemn them... let their homosexual souls rot in hell."**

This inner turmoil with himself, spent the last of the raven's strength. His eyelids relaxed as he fell into a troubled slumber, a tear freeing itself and running down his icy cheek. Into sleep Sasuke went, his father's cold words following right behind him.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright? I can come, you know." Naruto slammed his locker shut, turning around to look at Kiba. He stared at the brunette, slightly annoyed with what the other had just said. It had been nearly five months since his kidnaping and Itachi's trial. You'd think that in all that time, the dog-lover would have lightened up a bit. But no, Kiba had only gotten more protective of him since their making up. It was nice to know that his friend cared a lot about him, but annoying that he always wanted to be by his side.

"Kiba," Naruto replied. "I'll be fine by myself. I'm only going to the convenience store, then heading home. Besides, you promised Hinata already that you two would go to McDonald's. I'm not going to make you back out of a promise for a carton of milk."

The dog-lover looked at him, reaching up and scratching his brown spikes. "Okay...," the Inuzuka relented. "But I'm calling you tonight, got it?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, zipping his jacket up and pulling on his hat. "Yeah, I got it," he said, yanking Kiba's hood over the other's eyes. "Now get going! You're not going to make Hinata wait, are you?"

Kiba pulled his hood back up, frowning. "Never!," he responded, spinning on his heel. "Check ya later, fox-face," he called back, as he rushed to the front entrance. Again, Naruto rolled his eyes before waving at the brunette's receding figure. Smiling, the blonde made his way to the side door at a steady pace, pushing it open and stepping out into the cool day. Wind lightly blew at him, carrying light flecks of snow.

The sky was covered in dark grey clouds, heavy and low. Naruto released a small sigh of shock as a cold draft of air slipped up inside his jacket. For March, the weather was still awfully chilly, made worse by days of freezing rain. Worried that it would downpour, the Uzumaki broke into a fast walk, heading toward the nearest convenience store. The neon sign drew his attention, and he quickened his pace to get inside.

Just as the teen was passing an alley, he heard something scrambling about, stopping as a series of racking coughs broke out. Naruto paused, looking into the alleyway. He felt as if he should help the sick person, but what could he do? He turned his head back and forth from the store, to the alley, shuffling on his feet as he quickly thought through the situation. When a shoe-clad foot came into view behind a trash bin, he'd made up his mind and walked carefully toward the outstretched foot.

"Hey, you o...," The words died in the blonde's throat as he peeked over the bin to see none other than Sasuke Uchiha. The raven looked positively dismal compared to today in class. The pale teen was collapsed on a mass of damp, ripped cardboard boxes, arms wrapped around a torso wearing an old winter coat three sizes too big, that seemed to be molding as time wore on. Black bangs were matted against his forehead, eyes screwed shut tightly on a flushed face.

Naruto stared at the other male, taking a step back when Sasuke began to cough violently, his whole frame shaking. _'What am I supposed to do?'_ A whole wave of emotions swept through him, anger and pity were at the very forefront. There was also a sense of retribution, a little voice commenting in the back of his head saying 'Serves him right' over and over again.

But... was it really right? The blonde turned away from his sick classmate, nibbling on his thumbnail. He could easily walk away from Sasuke, and he would be completely justified in his actions. Naruto looked over his shoulder nervously, staring at the crumpled form with one eye. He moved his thumb away from his mouth, taking the last few steps toward the raven so that he was standing right in front of the other male.

The Uzumaki kneeled, waving his hand out in front of Sasuke's face. The raven didn't react, even when the blonde snapped his fingers several times. Concern started to rise through his hurricane of emotions, and he leaned forward, placing the back of his hand on the pale forehead. Naruto withdrew his hand immediately with a small hiss, cradling the appendage stunned. Sasuke... was really hot, like burning furnace hot.

"Mmmo-omm...," came a strangled moan. Naruto looked at Sasuke, his brow furrowed. The raven had called for his mom? Another pained groan confirmed it, and also informed the blonde that the Uchiha was clearly farther in his fever if he was having delusions about his mother.

But what was he supposed to do? The question returned with new force, strengthening his feelings and leaving him even more confused. It was like the night after his capture all over again: when he didn't know who Sasuke was anymore, and if he hated him still. Naruto got to his feet, biting the inside of his cheek. He should just leave the raven where he lay, it was fair after all. He turned around again to walk away, stopping as Sasuke broke into another fit of coughs.

"Dammit," he cursed, looking back at the Uchiha mournfully. He couldn't do it, he couldn't just abandon another being who needed his help. The blonde fell to his knees, pulling the feverish teen toward him, then onto his back. He grunted under the weight of the larger male, but endured it, slowly walking out of the alley and down the street toward his home. The milk would have to wait.

* * *

"No, he hasn't come home yet," Iruka said, cradling the phone against his ear. He looked out the living room window, staring worriedly down at the street below. "What...?... No, I'm not worrying," he snapped to the person on the other line.

Sighing, he walked away from the window back into the kitchen. "No, no... I'm the one who should be sorry," he apologized. "It's just... in one month he had to go through so much... a-and I di-didn't know..." The brunette trailed off, listening as the other person spoke. He swallowed, pinching at the bridge of his nose to stop the burning in his eyes.

"Y-yes, I know... thank you," he replied, smiling at the other's reassuring tone. There was the small click of a lock and Iruka jumped at the sound. "Yes, yes... I've got to go now... yeah he's home... yes, now goodbye!... uh-huh, fine...," he hissed into the receiver. " I love you too... now, bye!," he rushed out, hanging up the phone before the other could talk again. Hurrying out of the kitchen, Iruka plastered a smile onto his face, heading to the entrance to welcome Naruto home.

"Welc-... Naruto?" Brown eyes gazed down at his charge, who was kneeling on the floor, half carrying the form of another teenage boy. "Wh-what's going on?," the brunette questioned, squatting. He reached out to touch the dark-haired male, pulling his hand back when it too was burned. "My god... he's burning up! Naruto, what's going on?"

The blonde drew in a quick breath, heaving up the other teen's body, leaning the sick individual's weight on his own body. "I... don't know," Naruto confessed. "Can you help get him to my room?" Iruka nodded, leading their way down the hall, opening the teen's door open and ushering them into the room. Naruto huffed as he dragged his feet toward his bed, letting the other male's body flop onto the mattress.

"Oh my... isn't that Itachi's younger brother?" Iruka looked toward the blonde, getting a nod of affirmation. Frowning slightly, the brunette turned back to the raven, stepping to the bedside. "Naruto... go get the thermometer from the bathroom cupboard," he ordered. There was a shuffling behind him, and he knew without looking that the Uzumaki had left to fetch the instrument.

The man felt his heart go weak as he studied the Uchiha's features. It reminded him of the time Naruto had gotten pneumonia. Cautiously, he removed the raven's tattered jacket, fingers undoing the buttons of the teen's school dress shirt. Iruka pressed his two fingers to Sasuke's sweaty throat, counting the beats of his fluttering heart. "Mommmm..." The brunette placed his hand on the pale boy's forehead, fingers brushing away the black bangs.

Iruka's frown deepened as he extracted his hand. The Uchiha's hair was greasy... that, piled up with the tattered coat and dirty shirt concerned him._'What could have possibly happened to this child?,' _he wondered. "Iruka," came the voice of his adopted son, bringing him out of his thoughts. Without turning around, he took the thermometer offered to him, uncapping it and placing it in the raven's mouth; making sure the tip was under the boy's tongue.

Naruto watched as his guardian studied Sasuke, waiting patiently for the thermometer to get a reading. His fists clenched and unclenched during that time, before the thermometer's beeping broke him out of his trance. Iruka removed the instrument and gasped as he looked at the reading. "My god...," he mumbled as he got to his feet. Naruto took the thermometer from him, just as the brunette left the room.

"Iruka?," the blonde asked, following his adopted dad to see him putting on his shoes.

"We've got to get him to a hospital. His temperature's 103 degrees ," the brunette replied, grabbing his coat. "Here, put your shoes on."

Naruto stood rooted to the spot, eyes glued to the thermometer. "What's the regulated temperature for a fever?," he questioned. "Before someone has to be checked into the hospital?"

Iruka paused in his search for his keys, staring at the blonde confused. "Under 104 degrees. Why?"

The Uzumaki waved the thermometer about, fixing his guardian with a blank look. "Sasuke's temperature is under that. So... he doesn't need to go to the hospital. He'll stay here," he said. Iruka watched as Naruto placed the medical instrument onto the entryway table, before slipping his shoes on. "I'm going out," the blonde stated.

"B-but... wait!," Iruka called. His only response was the door closing in front of his face as Naruto left. Lost, Iruka sighed before removing his outdoor gear and heading back down the hall to the unconscious Uchiha.

* * *

His whole world had become a swirl of blacks, some light enough to be greys, others too dark to penetrate. And pain. Pain that kicked at his ribs and made him feel as if he was floating, or maybe that was choking. In, out... then out and in. It felt like he was leaving, but in actuality returning, but to what, he never knew.

Sometimes the pain was less, but the darkness more. Sometimes the circling black was less, the pain intensified. At least, when the pain was unbearable he saw more. A golden angel shining brightly, beyond the shadowy edges of his vision. Those few glimpses made this eternal floating, shuddering, painful darkness a thing he could accept.

* * *

He opened his eyes after what felt like an eternity, blinking rapidly at the harsh light glaring down at him. There was a numbness flooding his whole body, collecting mostly at the back of his mind. Slowly his strength was returning, as well as his vision. Carefully he tilted his head to the side, squinting in confusion. There were walls around him, not brick walls, white walls with a poster here and there.

A desk, a closet, a door... this was a room? Heaviness settled back on his chest, the floating sensation fading, as if his soul had just completely returned to his body. Struggling, he rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbows. His head ached at the movement, but he swallowed down the pain and the bile, gazing around at his new surroundings. When had he gotten here?

The last thing he remembered was... He paused for a moment, staring at the orange comforter he was wrapped in, before recollecting his thoughts. The last thing he remembered was falling, and being really cold, even though his insides burned. An internal ice burn. There was a click and he turned his eyes to the door, to see a blonde teen enter the room, carrying a tray in his tan hands.

The male paused, staring at him blankly, before moving forward again: slower this time. "You're awake," the blonde stated, setting the tray down on the night stand beside the bed. "Eat this, Sasuke," the other said.

He looked at the steaming bowl, noticing the chunks of noodles and chicken swimming about in the murky depths. _'Sasuke...' _That's right, his name was Sasuke. He turned his gaze back up at the blonde, who had turned to leave the room. What was his name? He pondered for a moment, before the word angel came to mind. "Thank you... angel," he said to the retreating teen. The blonde stopped, turning to give him a look that he was unable to identify.

He only smiled back to the other male, as the blonde left the room.

* * *

He was sitting in the same bed again two days later. There was more strength in his body now, and his mind was back to its normal thought process. Placing down his spoon, Sasuke looked at the little clock placed on the room's desk. His eyes watched the ticking hands disinterestedly, waiting patiently for a certain individual to come and collect his dishes. Two days ago, the raven had come out of his fever-induced coma, though he couldn't even remember the details of his waking up.

Apparently Naruto had been the one to find him awake, so he heard from the blonde's guardian, Iruka. Along with that, he managed to learn that it was Naruto who had brought him to his home after finding him, and who also brought him his meals. That raised the question of _why?_ Why would the very person he hurt actually save him from certain death. Was Naruto that forgiving?

But that was an idealist's dream. His proof walked right through the door, eyes fixed on his form. Naruto's blue eyes were narrowed in a glare, lips stretched out in a thin line. The hatred burning in the blonde's orbs snuffed out any hope of forgiveness. And so Sasuke theorized that it was just in the Uzumaki's nature to help someone in need, even if that person was unforgivable.

"Are you done?," the blonde asked, his tone harsh. Sasuke piled his dishes back onto the tray, nodding. Naruto saw and moved to come forward.

"How long have I been out of school?," Sasuke questioned, when Naruto stood by his side.

The golden-haired male didn't respond right away. "Almost two weeks," he finally mumbled, picking up his tray. "Iruka tried calling you in sick, but he's not your parent or your guardian."

Sasuke made no move to show that he had heard, though he had. _'Almost two weeks...,' _he thought to himself. His coal orbs flicked to the side as Naruto moved away from his side and to the door. He wanted to sigh at the blonde's silence. Whereas before it had been him avoiding the Uzumaki, now it was the shorter teen ignoring him.

"Just why were you in a box?"

The Uchiha's head snapped up, staring quizingly at the Naruto's back. The blonde stood in the doorway, facing away from the raven.

"You're actually asking me?," Sasuke said, shocked. Naruto's shoulders rolled in a shrug.

"Curiosity," the golden-haired male replied. The raven felt whatever hope that had bloomed in his chest, die. He needed to stop having these high expectations.

"I've been disowned," the Uchiha responded plainly, sinking below the bed sheets.

He closed his eyes. There was a shuffle of movement, but he kept his eyes closed. A chuckle followed, small and cold. The terrible sound die out as the Uzumaki left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Naruto truly hated him.

* * *

Naruto entered into the apartment, slipping his sneakers off and placing his umbrella to the side. He was just starting to take his jacket off when Iruka came around the corner. The brunette's face was drawn out in worry.

"Naruto... he didn't eat again today."

The Uzumaki sighed, hanging his coat on the hook. Since he actually talked to the Uchiha a week ago, the raven had taken to eating less each day. It had been three full days now that he had refused to eat anything.

Really, he was starting to get pissed off. He'd been kind enough to bring Sasuke to his home, even had the courtesy to feed the other male while he was in that feverish sleep. And Iruka was being so nice, taking care of the boy, making sure that Naruto got the raven's homework so that the Uchiha wouldn't end up flunking.

He couldn't care less.

"Alright," he breathed. "Give me the tray."

Iruka sighed appreciatively, walking back into the dining room and coming out with Sasuke's meal. Naruto took the tray from his adoptive father, walking down to the hall to his bedroom. When he opened the door, he was met with the sight of a slightly famished Uchiha, laying in bed and staring up at the ceiling blankly.

He strode across the room quickly, placing the tray down on the raven's lap. He didn't want to have to stay in the room longer than he had too. "Eat," he demanded.

Sasuke broke out of his trance, casting him a side-long glance before returning his gaze to the ceiling. He made no move to get up. Naruto growled, looming over the bedside, putting his face over the Uchiha's. Let's see if the raven could avoid his gaze now. "I'm not asking, Uchiha," Naruto hissed. "I'm telling you. Eat!"

The Uzumaki leaned away, sure now that Sasuke would obey him and eat the meal that Iruka had so kindly prepared. His anger flared when the raven continued refusing to budge.

Naruto had had enough. He grabbed a carrot stick off the plate, and shoved it into Sasuke's lax mouth, clamping his hand over the dark-haired male's mouth and nose. The raven's eyes widened considerably, pale hands struggling to remove the blonde's.

Naruto frowned, pressing down harder. "Not until you eat it. So you better chew fast."

Sasuke gave in, his jaw moving as he chewed the carrot before swallowing it. The Uzumaki, satisfied at the moment, removed his hand. The raven opened his mouth instantly, swallowing large gulps of air. _'Bastard,' _Naruto thought, taking a step back.

"Now, eat the rest. Or I'll shove each and every piece down your throat," the blonde threatened.

The Uchiha said nothing, sitting up in bed. Naruto, still not trusting the raven, pulled out his desk chair and sat down. Sasuke stared at the tray, before his obsidian orbs flicked toward the blonde.

"I thought you didn't care," the raven stated. A question highlighted his tone.

Naruto shrugged, turning a bit in his chair. "I don't," he answered. "You could die, and I'd just go on with my life."

Sasuke lowered his gaze some, but did not turn away. In his chest, though, he could feel his heart clench painfully. Uzumaki's words had torn through him, making him feel smaller than he had before.

"T-then why?,"The Uchiha mumbled, surprised that his voice wasn't cracking as much as he was.

Naruto looked blankly at the other teen. "If you're asking me why I saved you... then I don't know. Maybe it had to with how pitiful you looked."

Sasuke snorted lightly under his breath. He already knew how pathetic he was. God, and his father had pointed that out to him more than enough. He leaned forward a bit, pushing the tray off his lap. It fell to the floor with a thud.

The blonde's eyes widened in shock before they narrowed in fury. "How dare you asshole," Naruto demanded, rising to his feet. He stomped across the room, picking up the soiled food and placing it all back onto the tray. "Don't you fucking dare throw out Iruka's kindness because you're such a priss!"

"Don't talk to me Uzumaki," Sasuke commanded, his voice cold.

Naruto flinched, his anger growing. How dare the Uchiha order him around?! In his own house to boot! The blonde pulled the tray back, before flinging it and all its contents at the stoic male. Sasuke grunted as he was hit with the mess, the tray raising a bump on his head while the food soiled his hair and clothes.

"I can't believe the fucking nerve you've got!," Naruto yelled, shaking with uncontrollable rage. "I should have left you to die, then my life would be perfect! 'Cause then both you and your brother wouldn't be in it!!"

Sasuke turned in the bed, fixing his darkest glare on the blonde. "Don't fucking _ever_ _compare me_ to that fucker!," the raven shouted back. "So shut the hell up!"

"I'll say whatever I want, Uchiha. So, don't tell me to shut up! Godammit... I fucking hate you so much! I wish you had died while you sleeping on the streets!"

"Then why don't you do me the favor of doing it yourself," Sasuke roared. Naruto snapped, leaping at the raven. Tan fingers pulled at sauce-covered black hair, his fist slamming into the other's pale flesh.

The Uchiha grunted, grabbing at the blonde's hands. "Come on! I thought you hated me!! So finish it why don't you!" He managed to take the Uzumaki's hand in his hair and wrap it around his neck.

Naruto shuddered above him, eyes glazed with tears as he placed pressure on the raven's windpipe. "Why the fuck did you do it?! Why did you rape me?! Did you hate me that much!?," Naruto smashed his fist into Sasuke's cheek, his blood rushing as the Uchiha's lip cut open.

"And then your brother! What the fuck did I do to deserve this from you and your family?! What!?," the blonde finished the questions with another punch, a bruise forming around Sasuke's right eye.

The raven coughed, smirking up at the Uzumaki. "You're not applying enough pressure, dobe. You're supposed to choke me to death, remember?," he calmly replied.

Naruto ground his teeth, releasing his hold on Sasuke and stepping away. Pink finger marks circled around the pale neck. _'No...I won't do it! I won't give him the satisfaction!!' _The Uchiha frowned at him, black eyes empty as they narrowed at the blonde.

"What are you doing? Why did you let go?," Sasuke hissed.

His anger continued to smolder within him as he shook his head, looking at the raven in disgusted disdain. "I'm finished," Naruto replied. He turned around and strode out of the room. He grabbed his coat and shoes, slamming the apartment door behind him. He needed to get away.

* * *

Iruka walked down the hall slowly, standing in the room's door. Sasuke was sitting on the edge of the bed, glaring down at the floor. The brunette felt a wave of hatred, and confusion. A little bit of sorrow was mucked up between the two feelings. He had heard everything, he wouldn't be surprised if their neighbors had heard as well.

And now he knew who Naruto's assailant was. It made sense why there was such a rage in the cerulean orbs whenever he returned from tending to the Uchiha. Why Naruto avoided the raven as much as he could. _'How could I have felt sorry for you?,' _Iruka wondered as he continued to stare at the black-haired male.

Sasuke seemed to finally notice his presence, for he looked up. His eyes were neutral as he gazed at the teacher. Iruka returned the look, his emotions fading away. Should he turn the raven in... or let Naruto do that? After all, the blonde had known all this time yet he hadn't reported it.

"I-I think you should leave now," the brunette struggled to say. The Uchiha said nothing in reply, just nodded his head.

He got to his feet and grabbed his clothes. Iruka closed his eyes as the raven changed, opening them again when the teen walked past him. He listened as shoes were slipped on, and then the door was shut.

Naruto was gone... and Sasuke too.

* * *

He was angry. Angry at the Uzumaki who had refused to oblige to his only demand. He wanted to die, dammit! It would only be fair if it was at the hands of Naruto. But the blonde couldn't get that. The only thing Sasuke wanted anymore, and Naruto wouldn't give it to him.

Just like he wouldn't give him his heart.

Sasuke clenched his fists, ignoring the rain that soaked through him, his coat still somewhere back at the Uzumaki's. He wouldn't dwell anymore on this matter. His feet carried him away for a bit, his gaze lowered to the dark concrete before he dared to look up again. He pondered for a moment where he would go, before a church steeple caught his attention.

Immediately he walked off in that direction. It was the same church he had come across before, the one where he had confessed to the priest about his sick acts. He shivered, as he gripped the metal handle, grinding the door open before slipping into the church.

Unlike before, it wasn't entirely empty. A couple seniors sat in the first row pews, kneeling as they prayed. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and he glanced to the left to see that it was the priest from the confession booth. The old man's wrinkles were folded into worried lines.

"Is everything alright, child?," Sarutobi asked.

Sasuke stared back front. "I am Cain," he replied. "I condemned my brother to death in prison, and I have broken the only one important to me. I am no longer my Father's son. Either of theirs."

Sarutobi sighed, pushing the teen gently toward the side of the church. "Come, son. Let's get you changed." They walked in the shadows, past the confession booth, toward the front of the church where a door stood of to the side.

He feared that something like this might happen. Ever since the boy had first come in, and then when his face appeared in the paper because of his brother. So much... so much condemnation and lies filled this teen's life.

Sasuke said nothing as Sarutobi gave him fresh clothes, before making a bed for him. The back rooms of the Church contained a few bedrooms, used sometimes for visiting priests or nuns; or on occasions like this, for lost children with no place to go.

"He wouldn't kill me," the raven mumbled, curled up in the armchair in the corner of the room. "I begged him too, but he wouldn't. Father, I want to die... but only at his hands. At the hands of that angel I maimed."

The priest walked toward the Uchiha, finding it hard to respond. It would be a while before he could erase that Cain mentality that the teen was so adamant about possessing. _'How could a parent destroy a child this way?'_

"Son," Sarutobi started, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. If he couldn't make the boy believe he wasn't like Cain, than he'd have to work around it. "Tell me what you know about the story of Cain."

Sasuke shifted in his seat, barely responsive. "I only know that he killed his older brother in jealousy," he uttered.

The old man nodded, patting the shoulder. "There is more than that. As you have said yourself, the other child wouldn't kill you. Have you thought that maybe... he just couldn't?" Silence met his question, so Sarutobi continued. "After Cain had killed Abel, God marked him and said 'no man shall kill you'. There were many people who wanted to do so after Cain's heinous act. But the Holy father marked him, and so saved his life. That mark... was a sign of forgiveness."

Sasuke got to his feet, walking over to the room's tiny window. "I don't deserve to be forgiven, Father," the teen whispered.

The priest stared at the child's back, eyes lowered in sadness. Slowly he got to his feet, and walked to the door. "God forgives us all. It depends whether or not we will forgive each other... and ourselves." With that, he left the room.

* * *

His blonde hair was plastered to his head like a second skin, the rain running tiny streams through his soaked tresses that ran down the back of his neck and into his coat. He'd walked the block several times already, around and round the neighborhood buildings. Still, his thoughts were fixed on the Uchiha.

He hated him. So why was he thinking about him?

Probably because he had just gotten in a huge fight with the raven, which he was sure his guardian had heard, and the thing that was bothering him was Sasuke's order to _kill him._ Noone...noone demanded someone to kill them... not unless they had a reason too.

Naruto paused, standing stock still as the storm continued to roar above him. 'Angel'...that's what Sasuke had called him when he first woke him. Yeah, the guy was delusional, but... when he had said that, he'd sounded _sincere._

What did it mean?

Naruto bit his bottom lip, his tears ebbing. He hated Sasuke...

**C.M.D: Aiieee...so much drama... Maybe I should change the genre of this, ne? Anyways, that's the end of this chapter. Review, please!! I want to know your thoughts!  
...I wonder if any of you guys get the meaning behind the title...**


	13. Stainglass Window

**C.M.D: Here it is, the final chapter. Thank you everyone who read this story and reviewed, and for everyone else who will someday read this. You guys make me so happy!  
Now, one last thing before you read, I was going to explain the meaning of the last chapter title. 'Up against the fence' is a combination of the saying 'up against the wall' and 'sitting on the fence'. As everyone knows, 'up against the wall' means being cornered and unable to run anywhere. Like how Naruto and Sasuke both felt, as their lives twisted out of control. 'Sitting on the fence' is a term often used in christianity, and it means when a person is being undecisive whether or not to follow God. A perfect example of when Kiba was entering the faith, and when Sasuke was starting to get fed up with God and feeling so lost in his own faith.  
So, there you go. My inspiration for last chapter's title. Anyways, read on now, and enjoy the last chapter of _In God's House._**

Hinata smiled when again there came shuffling from the chair opposite her, her dinner partner having trouble settling down. Kiba finally stopped moving, looking up at the Hyuuga and noticing her smile, returned to fidgeting about in his seat.

The raven's smile grew but she decided to leave the Inuzuka alone. Talking would probably stretch his nerves beyond their breaking point. But, who would have guessed that Kiba could be such a shy person? Not that she wasn't feeling nervous either, in fact if it wasn't for her carry-along bible placed at her side, Hinata might have bolted out of there as well.

But she couldn't do that. Not after the dog-lover had drawn up the courage to ask her out --on an actual date, not one of their daily bible get-togethers-- to dinner tonight. The Hyuuga pulled her eyes away from Kiba, glancing around the restaurant.

It was a lovely place, with plenty of round tables covered in red clothe with high-backed wooden chairs. It definitely wasn't a burger joint or a café. It was an honest-to-goodness restaurant with waiters dressed in dry-cleaned black and white uniforms, and not a fry insight on the menu. Hinata was glad that it wasn't too pricy a place. She'd feel terrible if she emptied Kiba's wallet.

"Here you go, kids." Their waiter for the night, some girl named Tenten, placed their meals before them. Pulling away, she smiled at the still nervous Kiba, winking at the raven. "Enjoy your meal," she said, turning away.

Kiba finally looked up again, and blushed to his roots, causing Hinata to blush a little as well. "L-let's pray," the Hyuuga suggested, placing her hands on top of the table. The brunette followed her example, his nervousness easing with the action. Again, Hinata blushed.

She admitted to herself that she was beginning to like the Inuzuka in a way that extended beyond their friendship, in the same way that she once had admired Naruto. And she believed that Kiba shared the same feelings toward her...or so she desperately hoped.

His embarrassment and uncertainty seemed to indicate that he liked her, at least. But just asking her out on a simple dinner date seemed too much for him. Would a relationship actually happen between them?

Sighing mentally, Hinata finished the prayer, watching as Kiba dug into his meal. She lightly picked at hers while she mulled over her previous thoughts. It seemed that the only thing really connecting them was the Lord and his word.

"H-hey...Hi-hinata...," Kiba stuttered, breaking her out of her reverie. The dark-haired girl looked up, catching the brunette's intense gaze. Her cheeks burning increased.

Kiba swallowed sharply, regretting eating his meal now as his stomach churned. He stared at the blushing girl, trying to work his mouth around the words he so desperately wanted to say. His jaw went slack for a moment before he clenched his teeth, fingers bunching the front of his jeans.

"W-would you... will you be my girlfriend?," he shouted out in a rush.

Hinata nearly fainted when the brunette spoke, raising a hand to shield her cherry-red face. She dared a glance over at the Inuzuka, who had his head turned down, eyes squeezed shut as he awaited her reply.

Slowly her heart beat picked up until it was thundering in her chest practically, feeling light-headed all of a sudden. "Y-yes...," she murmured, her own voice still weak from shock. "Yes."

Kiba looked up at her, disbelieving, before a large grin spread over his face. His cheeks too were turning a deep scarlet. Hinata giggled quietly under her breath, returning to her meal with more intent to eat.

Maybe things were still a little awkward between them, and their relationship would always be affected by their shyness toward each other... but that was okay. Through the Lord their feelings would morph into something withstanding of all tribulations. And besides, it isn't like they were in any rush anyways.

* * *

Sasuke was back. All around school, that's what the gossip was: the return of the ice prince. Fangirls instantly flocked to the school's foyer, where the Uchiha could be located, intent on getting close to the raven after not seeing him for an entire month.

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Uchiha-love!!"

Many squeals of delight erupted, and Naruto had to cover his ears at the sound, despite the fact that he was on the other side of the building. _'Stupid retards,' _he thought angrily, stomping to first period. The girls, beyond anything else, pissed him off.

The Uzumaki slipped into the class, early for once, taking his seat. He was actually surprised that Sasuke was even back at school. When he'd returned home yesterday, all he found was an empty bedroom and a moping Iruka in the kitchen. Instantly he knew that the Uchiha was gone... but to where, he didn't know.

He was more surprised by the fact that he actually cared to know what happened to Sasuke. Would this confusion never end? Naruto sighed, resting his head on his arms. He glared at the door as Sakura and Ino strode in, shockingly not attached to the Uchiha.

Their attraction to the raven was disgusting, and so shallow. As if they even knew what went on in Sasuke's life. _'But I know a good amount.' _It was true, Naruto knew.

He had been raped by Sasuke, nearly killed by his brother, and saved by the raven. He knew for a good time Sasuke was homeless, he was practically deathly ill, and he'd been the one to save him. He, Uzumaki Naruto, fed the immobilized Uchiha. He'd seen the raven horny, hopeless, angry, afraid...pitiful. How many other people saw those sides of Sasuke?

The blonde knew more about the pale teen than anyone of his admirers. In a way... it made him smirk. Knowing all this... made him superior to everyone else. All their beliefs and fantasies about Sasuke were false, but his would be true.

There was a crackling noise, and Naruto realized that it was the P.A system. His cerulean orbs flickered to the clock, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. It was too early still for the morning anthem. So what was up?

His answer came soon enough when there was a slight cough, a cool baritone echoing through the speaker. "I have an announcement to make," Sasuke said. Noise inside the classroom and out in the hallway ceased, everybody recognizing the Uchiha's voice. Naruto found himself unnaturally silent, waiting for what the raven would say.

"For all you people who think I'm going to be your prince charming, or your dark knight -grow up. I am, in no way or form, interested in you. Your attempts to seduce me through perfume, make-up, crappy gifts or exhibiting your body; just know that they're all pointless." One guy snickered before he was hit by his friend, the other male signaling for him to shut up.

Sasuke continued, his voice beginning to sound a little grainy due to extended use of the P.A. "I don't care how experienced you are in bed, or if you're a virgin. I don't like you and never will. So let me make this point clear to all you fangirls. I detest breasts. The very thought of a vagina makes me want to gag. I am, and forever will be no matter what, gay. So, get a life! "

The P.A made a loud crack as it was shut off, leaving the classroom entirely silent. The guys began to crack small smiles, looking around the classroom in blissful disbelief. Naruto watched distantly as Sakura and Ino broke out in a series of screams and cries, other fangirls joining in as they rejected what they had just heard. The smarter females just broke down crying, knowing that there was no point avoiding the truth.

Sasuke, he had... he admitted... _'Why would he say that?' _Naruto slumped in his chair, staring down at his desk.

"Naruto...? Hey, you okay man?" The blonde started at the sudden voice, blinking away at the heat that filmed his eyes. Were those tears? He looked up, seeing Kiba staring down at him, a slight look of worry in the brunette's eyes. It passed quickly though as the brunette walked to his other side.

"I can't believe that prick actually confessed to being gay," Kiba said, taking a seat beside Naruto. "I mean, is that guy crazy or what? But man... what a way to tell it," the Inuzuka laughed.

Naruto tried to laugh along, but he couldn't muster up even a chuckle. He placed his face in his arms, staring at the front of the class. Right in his line of sight, Sasuke would be sitting in his seat, soon enough. Kiba stopped laughing, and noticed the lack of response. He turned his head to his right.

Naruto was staring blankly ahead, his face completely free of all emotion. The Inuzuka's worry returned once more. The blonde's blue eyes were so dark, a sure sign that the Uzumaki was busy thinking things over. Kiba sighed, facing back front.

When Naruto was lost in his own head, there was no getting to the blonde. Because it meant, whatever he was thinking about was something deep, something best kept to himself. Kiba suppressed another sigh. He wished he could help...but he could only do so much.

Kiba nearly had a heart attack the next minute, when Kakashi walked through the door, his one visible eye arched into a 'u'. "What a way to start the morning, eh?," he said, placing his things on his desk. Kiba made a few incoherent noises before finally finding his voice.

"Y-you're here? Before the announcements? " This seemed to snap Naruto out of his thoughts, looking over at his friend who was fisting a handful of his own hair, to the front of the class where their History teacher stood, grinning down at them.

"Kakashi-sensei's early?," the blonde mumbled in shock. Kakashi nodded. "Yep!," he chirped. "And what a day to come early. Such an interesting announcement to hear in a _Catholic _school."

Sakura and Ino began to growl, inching toward the grey-haired man. Obviously, any mention of Sasuke's orientation would send the two girls rabid. Kakashi seemed unnerved a little, for he was quick to walk behind his desk, taking a seat. At that very moment, Sasuke strode into the room.

His pale visage was expressionless as usual, but there was something different about him. Naruto couldn't figure out what it was exactly. The Uchiha paused beside the teacher's desk, looking over the classroom blankly. Sakura, gaining some control over herself, rose from her seat and approached the raven.

"S-sasuke-kun... that was such an interesting skit you did this morning," the pinkette said, her smile strained. Sasuke glanced at her momentarily, before looking away. "It wasn't an act Sakura," he replied.

A vein in the girl's temple appeared, and she inched closer to the raven, pressing up against his rigid form. "Sasuke-darling. You're such a kidder," she giggled. Her hands roved up his chest, cupping his face. "I know you're just a shy boy," she whispered, leaning toward his lips.

Sasuke's blank face changed into an angered expression as he shoved the whore away. "Apparently you're too dense to take my word," he hissed, not caring when she tripped and fell to the floor. "I guess some visual evidence is in order..." The Uchiha spun around and grabbed at Kakashi, pulling the man toward him and pressing his lips against the teacher's.

A whole set of gasps broke out over the classroom as Sasuke pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation. Kakashi eased back into his chair, visibly unaffected by the raven's brash action. "Are you done now?," the man drawled, resting his chin in his palm. Sasuke looked at Sakura who was silently crying, staring at the black-haired teen in horror, snorting.

"Yes," he answered. "I'd like a seat change." Kakashi sighed, looking around the room. "Well, I can't just go around changing seats," the teacher said. "But you can take the spare desk at the back, if you want."

Sasuke nodded and made his way to the back of the classroom. The guys in the class inched away as the Uchiha walked past them. Almost noone could believe that the raven had just used their history teacher as proof to his homosexuality. "And Sasuke... you've got detention after school," Kakashi called, pulling out his infamous book.

Sasuke sat down at his new desk, sighing. "I am well aware," he responded, brows creased in annoyance. Kakashi grinned. "Just checking!," he grinned. Sasuke snorted, and the class reverted back to some semblance of normality. Naruto himself couldn't get focused.

He pulled out his sketchbook, staring blankly at the white pages. This day... this day was crazy! It was like some bad comedy routine, that he didn't know he'd been scripted in to. The blonde sighed, laying his head on the desk. He was confused...

Naruto didn't dare to look behind him. Sasuke being so close to him, and doing all these things. They didn't make sense. Gritting his teeth, Uzumaki came to a conclusion. It was time to get some answers.

* * *

Naruto gawked at the large church, blue eyes wondering over the entire structure. Who would have guessed that there was such a beautiful building in their suburbia? His fingers began to twitch a little, feeling the urge to pull out his sketchbook right then and there. The afternoon sunlight warming stone angels, and darkening cut angles of the gargoyles, was such a beautiful sight. It'd be a shame not to capture the moment. The blonde shook his head, pushing the feeling aside. Now was not the time to draw... but maybe later.

After school had finished, Naruto had hurried home, dropping off his things and telling Iruka that he'd be out for the afternoon, before running back to the school. Detention, he knew from past experience, was an hour long, and Sasuke had landed himself a hefty month of detentions for that message that morning.

When he'd returned to the school, he only had to wait another five minutes before the Uchiha left, and without being seen, trailed after the raven. Sasuke had led him to this massive church, disappearing inside. Shaking off the set of nerves that suddenly set in, Naruto jogged up the concrete steps, touching the wood doors momentarily, before opening them and slipping inside.

It was shady inside, pleasantly cool, light coming down in thick beams; highlighting the rows of pews. The beams of light were almost like pillars. Slowly, Naruto walked forward, his head turning from side to side. He himself wasn't religious, he really didn't believe in all that stuff, but he couldn't deny the fact that this place felt almost... divine.

The atmosphere put him at ease. Cerulean orbs turned to the front, staring at the point in the wall where a large circle was cut in the stone, holding a large circle of stained glass. Small strands of light shone through the colorful shards, pointing down at a sharp angle. The blonde's gaze followed the trail, coming to rest on the black-haired male who kneeled on the center of the floor before the alter.

The rainbow beams shining all around the raven was... breathtaking. From the shadows, Sarutobi watched as the strange blonde teen approached Sasuke. He'd first spotted the boy when he had entered the church, and had stood by quietly as the blonde twisted his head this way and that, mouth open in wonder before falling on the Uchiha's form. Now the smaller male's steps were hesitant, but still they carried their owner to the raven, silently.

"Perhaps... he is the one," the priest mumbled to himself, spotting the almost serene expression on the blue-eyed boy's face. The old man smiled softly to himself. _'Maybe now, things will change.'_

Naruto finally came to a stop, right behind the Uchiha. Still he said nothing, just watching the back of the raven's head. Cautiously he reached out, placing a hand on the other teen's shoulder. Sasuke flinched at the sudden contact, spinning away from the touch and jumping to his feet. His obsidian orbs were wide open, staring at the blonde incredulously.

"N-naruto?"

Sasuke turned away and made to run, but the tight grip on his arm kept him from fleeing. He glanced back, black eyes being caught by determined blue ones. "Not this time, Sasuke. Neither one of us is running away until I've gotten some answers," the Uzumaki stated.

Naruto dragged the Uchiha to a pew, letting the raven go and sitting down. Sasuke resigned himself to his fate, wrapping his fingers around the rosary beads in his hand, staring down at the floor. "What... what do you want to know?," he asked, gently sighing as he closed his eyes.

Naruto took a small, shaky breath. The confusion was back again, that god-awful confusion that had been haunting him for so long now. Where was the anger? Where were all those other feelings that he was supposed to be having, especially in the presence of the one who caused so much hell in his life?

But... _'If it weren't some of the things that happened because of Sasuke, then Iruka probably would have never tried to fight for me. And he might not of won either.'_ Naruto sighed as this thought came to mind, knowing so well how true it was.

"I-i... I'm not sure wh-what to ask first," the blonde confessed. "H-how 'bout we start with... y-you calling me angel. When you first woke up."

Sasuke opened his eyes, and looked up at the Uzumaki. "I actually... ca-called you that?," the raven asked, shocked. Naruto nodded, fixing him with a look that told the Uchiha that he had better explain. Sasuke took a breath, wondering how to go about answering.

"I was delusional..."

"Uchiha," came the growl.

"But I meant it," Sasuke continued. He had closed his eyes again, not wanting to see the blonde's expression. "F-for a long time... I've thought of you as that. You couldn't possibly understand how much you've done for me... and how much I loved you in return."

Naruto clenched his fists, noticing how the raven was not looking at him. "If that was the case...," the blonde hissed. "Then why? Why, if you loved me so much, did you do it?"

Sasuke's lids slowly opened, coal orbs catching the sight of teary sapphires. Again, like the last two times, his heart clenched and he turned his head down, not able to stare into the Uzumaki's eyes. "B-because I saw you like this... in the chapel that time... and I couldn't bear to see you hurt..." The raven paused and Naruto blinked, confused.

"Y-you... were there?," he breathed. Sasuke nodded, and Naruto had to keep himself from launching at the Uchiha. What else was there that he didn't know?

Sasuke went on, and Naruto focused on what the raven was saying. "I...was hurting," the Uchiha replied, hand clenching at his right breast, right over his heart. "I...I couldn't stand to have you leave, and it was obvious that you didn't want to either. In that moment, I got selfish, and could only think of what I wanted."

Sasuke's hand dropped back down to his side. Naruto glanced down at the pale appendage, watching the ruby red beads swinging slightly at the motion. The blonde turned his gaze back up to the Uchiha's face, seeing a guilt-ridden expression on the raven's face. Slowly, Sasuke turned his head to look at him.

"Before the only thing I wanted, was to be close to you. And I thought... with you being taken away... I should at least get that contact I so desired. Before you were gone," the black-haired male finished.

That familiar spark of anger returned and Naruto gritted his teeth, getting to his feet. "Well, I hope you had a joyous time fucking my unconscious body," he snarled, stomping away.

"Naruto..."

The Uzumaki paused. Why had he stopped? What did he care if Sasuke called his name? Let the bastard call all he wants, he should just keep on walking and not look back. But...

"Naruto...," Sasuke said again, his tone small. Naruto faltered, stepping back and turning around. His breath hitched, the raven was standing just inches away from him. The Uchiha's black eyes were focused on him, almost... soft.

Sasuke grabbed his tan hand, holding it between his own two palms. "I didn't...," the raven whispered, releasing his hand.

Naruto felt heat film his eyes, spinning around, his back to the raven. _'I-I can't believe that_ _asshole!'_ Saying that stuff to him...did the guy hate him so much, despite confessing he loved him?

Sasuke sighed, turning around and looking up at the stained glass window. He closed his eyes, opening them again and staring up at the crystal image of Jesus Christ. _'It's time I did something good, not just for myself Lord... but for him too. Forgive me if I am no longer your child.'_ Naruto had yet to move still, and Sasuke was glad.

The blonde's warmth gave him comfort, and he smiled softly. "I didn't enjoy it...because I couldn't do it." Naruto felt his heart stop, before picking up quickly. "When you cried for me to stop... I realized just what I was doing, and was disgusted with myself. I took you home, and on that day I promised not to come near you anymore."

There was no reply, but Sasuke was certain that the Uzumaki was listening. "Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I didn't know how else to act."

He'd heard enough. Naruto stepped forward, hands fisted in his pocket. "Naruto...," came Sasuke's voice again. This time he didn't stop, but he did glance behind him. The Uchiha hadn't moved from his spot, his back to the blonde as he gazed up at the circle glass window. "You know it, don't you? I could never hurt you...not purposely. You mean too much to me," Sasuke finished.

Naruto turned his head back front, hurrying out of the church. A tear broke free from the rest that he struggled not to release, trailing down his cheek as he burst out into the sunshine. He wiped it away, staring up at the bright sky. His heart was still pounding, and the tears collected in his eyes threatened to fall.

Slowly, he pulled his hand out of his pocket. The flesh still tingled from when Sasuke had held it. "Stupid asshole...," he mumbled without hate or despair, gazing down at the red beads that rolled about in his palm. He gripped them tightly, the wood cross biting into his skin. He hopped down the steps, slipping his hands back into his pockets, as he headed home.

There was a lightness in his soul, a great weight finally lifted.

* * *

Sarutobi walked past the ink-haired male on his way to his room. "How is everything?," he asked, stopping to hear the boy's answer.

Sasuke paused, a smile pulling at his lips. "Whether or not, God forgives me... I'm okay. Because someone else has already forgiven me," he replied.

The old priest smiled at the teenager as he walked into his room. He turned away when the door closed, heading to his office. "You've already been forgiven by God, Sasuke. You only needed to forgive yourself."

* * *

Hinata smiled, left hand cradling her bible to her chest. Her right hand was wound in Kiba's long fingers, quite comfortable. "Hinata...," mumbled the brunette. "You really don't mind being my girlfriend?"

The Hyuuga's smile grew, and she turned it to the Inuzuka. Kiba's chocolate eyes caught her pale ones, and he blushed under her gaze. "K-kiba...," she answered. "I really, r-really do want this."

Kiba grinned broadly, scratching at the side of his cheek. He chuckled lowly, blushing in embarrassment, his insecurities fleeing him. "I'm glad," he whispered back, placing his free hand into his pocket.

Hinata nodded, gripping her bible tighter. She looked away from the brunette, and at the world around her. The students were all milling about, heading into the school at a snail's pace, everyone dressed in their summer uniforms. How quick it seemed spring had come, and summer was fast approaching.

"K-kiba-kun...have you t-thought of what c-courses you'd like t-to take next y-year?" Kiba jolted at the question. "Umm...actually, no," he answered. "Not that it will really matter. I'll probably end up a vet like my mom."

Hinata nodded. "A veterinarian is a good career." The brunette nodded his head as well. "Yeah...," he uttered, looking at the black-haired girl from the corner of his eye. The Inuzuka took another step forward, smacking face-first into something. He stumbled backwards, the Hyuuga female reaching out to steady her boyfriend.

"S-sasuke-san?"

Kiba's eyes snapped open, widening as they focused in on the Uchiha who was slightly hunched over. Sasuke straightened up, and turned to the two, his eyes narrowed. _'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!' _Kiba crossed his fingers, hoping that the dark-haired male wouldn't cuss him out or anything, especially in front of Hinata.

"Hinata," Sasuke replied, inclining his head forward in greeting. Hinata slowly pulled her hands away from Kiba, sure now that the Inuzuka wasn't going to fall over. "A-and how was your weekend?," the girl asked, smiling politely.

Sasuke shifted his bag, rolling one shoulder. "It was fine, thank you. And I'm sure yours was pleasant," he said. The last bit sounded almost like a question. The Hyuuga nodded her head, her smile having yet to leave her face.

"Indeed, it was. So nice of you to have noticed," Hinata commented. Sasuke closed his eyes, giving a slight nod in acknowledgment. Kiba was gaping, watching the exchange. The Uchiha was acting _civil_?! To _people_!! Obsidian orbs showed themselves to the world, glancing at the Inuzuka who shrank back in panic, before turning to the shy Hyuuga.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Hinata. Have a good day," Sasuke said. He turned away and strode forward. "God bless you, Sasuke-san," Hinata shouted, bowing to the Uchiha's retreating form. The black-headed male paused, turning slightly to smirk at the girl. "You as well, Hinata." Then he was gone, easily walking through the crowded halls.

Kiba trailed after Hinata, stunned. He was still finding it hard to believe that Sasuke was being nice to them. "Shut your mouth, dog-breath. You're catching flies." The brunette snapped at the insult, rounding on the one that had spoke it, glaring at the blonde.

"Ha, ha, ha...Very funny, fox-face," he huffed. Naruto chuckled, shifting the boxes in his arms.

"And good morning to you too, Hinata-chan," the Uzumaki said, turning to the raven. Hinata smiled at the cheery teen.

"Good morning, N-naruto-kun," she replied. Her eyes focused on the boxes the blonde was holding. "What are you doing?," she inquired.

"Oh, these...," Naruto lifted the boxes up a bit, lowering them again and resting them on his hip. "I'm helping Shizune out in the Nurse's office, trying to earn my hours," he answered.

Hinata nodded, while Kiba laughed. "I'm already done mine. Got them helping mom out at the clinic," the brunette gloated. The Uzumaki rolled his eyes, turning away. The couple followed him to the Nurse's office.

"You two sure are close. Finally going out, I see," Naruto grinned, putting the boxes down onto the room's floor. The Inuzuka and Hyuuga blushed brightly, looking anywhere but at each other and their golden-haired friend. Naruto laughed, resting against the door jam. "Hey, no need to be shy. It's great that you're going out. You guys are just so cute!"

Hinata glanced up at the blonde as his laughter died down, to see the Uzumaki staring off into the distance. She followed the blue-eyed male's line of sight, spotting Sasuke at the end of the hall. "Sasuke sure has changed, hasn't he?," she remarked.

Kiba looked down the hallway too, nodding his head vigorously. "Seriously, man. I bumped into him and he didn't say anything. Not even a glare! Things around here are changing, dude."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Naruto mumbled. "He's not such a bad guy...," he added.

Kiba turned back to his friend, looking at him as if he was crazy. After a moment, he just shrugged, putting his hands into his pocket. "Guess so," he said in response.

Hinata fixed her light lavender orbs onto the blonde, catching the small grin on the tanned face. Her eyes lowered, focusing on the rosary beads wrapped around Naruto's wrist. _'Strange,'_ she mused, _'but... I think I get it.'_ Naruto's fingers gently touched the gleaming red beads, tracing down the side of the attached, tiny cross. She smiled softly at the gesture.

Down the hall, Sasuke caught sight of the trio. He raised his hand slightly, a small smile on his lips. Three hands waved back.

**

* * *

**

C.M.D: So this is the end. I hoped everyone enjoyed the story. But before I say goodbye, I thought I'd share with you guys a poem that I wrote a while back that inspired the title of this chapter.

**_I remember long ago,  
you were so care-free.  
Laughing, caring, and open,  
just how you should be._**

**_Each day passed and you've grown,  
bigger, smarter and strong.  
But still you're hurt and crack,  
from everything in life that's wrong._**

**_And while you were still small,  
your poor soul and heart.  
Were torn away from you,  
and shattered apart._**

**_'Look what's happened,  
I'm tainted- ugly!'  
Even as you are,  
your beauty is all I see._**

**_You shake your head,  
cover your ears.  
You won't believe my words,  
what do you fear?_**

**_'There's no going back,  
I'll never be the same.'  
Maybe; but you can be more.  
Something of wonder, not shame._**

**_All the tiny shards of your being,  
look, are painted in a rainbow.  
Of everything you've felt,  
of everything you now know._**

**_Purple for your pain,  
red for your rage.  
Black for your confusion,  
blue for sorrow that passes the ages._**

**_Yellow for your joy,  
Orange for peace.  
White for your hope,  
green for relief._**

**_'I'm like glass' you say,  
'I can't be mended.'  
Broken and sullied,  
you think your life has ended._**

**_Still I cradle the shards of your heart,  
warming them in my hands.  
Your tattered soul I mend with care,  
while you come to understand._**

**_When the pieces are put back together,  
you can finally be whole.  
Like a stain-glass window,  
you have a beautiful soul._**

**Thank you everyone, maybe I'll hear from you guys again in reviews for another story of mine. If not, oh well... Remember to review guys. And check out my deviantart account every once in a while, I plan to draw some more pictures 2 post. All right, that's it. So long everybody!  
PS. The rosary beads that Naruto has are Sasuke's. For anyone that didn't realize that...**


End file.
